What exactly happens before, during and after a Craniotomy

Mary: Quite an array of responses. I guess I will add my own. I had my procedure done at the University of Calif. in San Francisco. About 3 weeks before my surgery a Nurse Practitioner called and asked some questions and told me I needed to get blood work done within a 2 week window of my surgery. After my blood work was posted a nurse in the anesthesia department called and asked more questions. After this phone consult with the anesthesia nurse she said, "Ok, I'm going to approve that we go ahead with this surgery." Three days prior to surgery the anesthesiologist called and we had a 25 minute phone consult. Next, I had to travel to San Francisco (90 minute drive if no commute traffic) for another MRI that had to be within 24 hours of the surgery. I was told arrive at the hospital the next morning at 6:30 for my 8 o'clock scheduled surgery and to shower at home beforehand. I was sent to pre-op for more blood work and the IVs put in that the medicine during the operation would be injected into. My anesthesiologist came in and once again asked more questions. Then, my neurosurgeon stopped by and the 3rd year resident who would be "assisting" (though I suspect after reading my reports he handled most of the craniotomy-but it's a teaching hospital so...) spoke with me at length to reassure me that they would not be aggressive in trying to remove the 2.7 meningioma 1/16th of an inch from my optic nerve. If they could scoop it out easily they would but in no way would they try to remove it at the expense of damaging my optic nerve. My conversation with this doctor really made a positive difference. After about 40 minutes it was time to be rolled into the surgery room and I had to say good-bye to my husband. My anesthesiologist and I had talked in pre-op about me getting something, like ativan, to kind of calm my nerves. She said I seemed to be doing fine. That she would give it to me if I wanted but it would prolong the time it would take for me to come out of the anesthesia after the surgery. So I didn't take it. In the future I would. The surgical suite was so cold, so bright, and what seemed for at least a half an hour all this noise of machines being moved around, more IVs inserted in my leg near my ankles, my husband not there, everyone very business like (well it was brain surgery they were getting ready for) and that was the most stressful part of my experience. Like I said, in the future I would take the ativan pre-surgery. The anesthesiologist never said, "Now we're going to put you to sleep." All of a sudden I was just out. My husband and 2 daughters got text messages every 20 minutes or so on how things were going. The surgery lasted just shy of 4 hours. I was told beforehand I would be in the intensive care unit but I was doing so well they put me in the "step down" unit which is a private room with a 1 to 3 nurse to patient ratio. My husband and the daughter without children took 12 hours shifts staying with me in the room with a mini-twin size bed for them. The second day I was walking to the bathroom myself. The 3rd day I went home. They said I didn't need to go to rehab. On discharge day the pharmacist with a PHD in pharmacology personally came to the room to go over all the medicines I would be taking at home. I think I was on keppra for seizures and steroids for inflammation for about 3 weeks to a month. Something like that. I was told to sleep at a 45 degree angle for a period of time, as they had me do while in the hospital. I did that for a week. You'll need one of those angled, wedge pillows. I slept a lot at home but felt fine. They had given me tylenol in the hospital round the clock but at home I think I took it once. I really didn't have any pain. Make sure you already have the stool softener at home before your surgery as it is really important you take this and not strain as that would increase the pressure in your head. My only set back was that my cranial nerve #4 was inflamed from the surgery and I had double vision for 3 1/2 months until it healed from the trauma. OK, Mary. I hope this wasn't T.M.I. I want to reiterate that the hysterectomy I had years ago was FAR worse regarding pain and just feeling horrible for 3 weeks. I was passing out Halloween candy 2 weeks after my craniotomy. My surgery was a year and a half ago when I was 70. Find a reputable hospital and a neurosurgeon you trust and I think you will be fine.