What exactly happens before, during and after a Craniotomy?

@colleenyoung Thank you for asking . I will be having surgery on the 27th . I found a Doctor I really like and he spent a lot of time reviewing my situation. I know it is what I have to do now . Praying for all to go well.

my crainotomy apparently was very different than yours. i had "hair sparing technique" and no hair shaved. Moreover, i had "no fat packing". The only incision i had was a cosmetic like several inch vertical incision on the left side of my head --slightly to the front and above my ear. Moreover, i had dissolvable stitches and little discomfort from my incision sight. There was an excellent neuro-anesthesiologist who was very calming to be around. He started with a pediatric anesthetic (no needles) and the next time i was aware of anything, i woke up in the OR. I have severe asthma and my pulmonologist wrote instructions that he wanted the anesthesia "reversed" as soon as the surgery was completed and the breathing tube was to he removed immediately. I was in no pain and was immediately transferred to ICU (as i was informed i would be)

@colleenyoung Following back up to advise I had surgery this past Monday . I went Holme on Thursday . I will see the doctor again in 2 Weeks . He feels the operation was a success and a post MRI seems to confirm this . Dealing with post surgery trama and head pain . Will
Lay low and recover this week and try to rest and gain strength back . Was pretty scary ride but all is good !

@scottdemauex, thanks for the update. I hope recovery is going well. I look forward to hearing how the 2-week follow-up goes.

Thank you for asking . The 2 week follow up went very well. Staples were taken out and all was going well! I was advised that the pathology was still considered to be a stage # 1 .
We were surprised but pleased !

@scottdemauex
Im six months post op and still get sensations on my scalp but the "ride" gets " less scary" and pains did subside 👍🙏🙏Heal well !!

@jeanneoc Thank you for. This is my second go around. It has been 10 years since my first and I really can’t remember how it went. I hope that I can make progress and in 6 months be back on track . Thanks again !

I too am frightened. The first opinion said it was "just" a meningioma so we will do a follow up MRI with contrast in a year. I went for a second opinion because I had been unsteady and there were some mobility issues. The second opinion was at a more major medical center (Georgetown) and after a great deal of studying, the neurosurgeon recommended the craniotomy. It seems the meningioma is very close to the optic veins/arteries. Right now there is space, but if there is a growth spirt (it is currently 2 1/2 cm) it is a more challenging procedure. This group seems to have been through a great deal and I do not know if a procedure in my frontal lobe is something to go into and how the craniotomy will impact me and how my brain responds to a surgery in the frontal lobe and if I will have the same emotions (good and bad). For a variety of reasons, there are no family members to discuss this whole thing with and the doctor wants to do the surgery the second week of June. Do I have to write a will?

@loujo: I am so sorry that you are having to sort through all of this alone. I remember how troubling it was for me when I was diagnosed with a meningioma 3 years ago. The neurologist I consulted, I count him as my first opinion, scheduled me for a follow up MRI in 6 months. Given that the first neuro doc you consulted suggested an MRI follow up in a year, and the second surgeon is trying to schedule surgery in about 2 weeks, I think a 6 month follow up is a reasonable compromise. I, too, was advised about a possible growth spurt, but that never happened. Given that the usual growth rate is about 1 millimeter a year it is likely your meningioma will remain stable. I took that six months in between diagnosis and surgery to educate myself and get used to the idea of it all. But, on the flip side of the coin, I agree with the second neuro doctor who is recommending surgery to remove it. The meningioma will continue its slow growth toward your optic nerve and once it gets too close it will be difficult, and perhaps impossible, to remove it. Also, do you really want to have surgery during the holidays, in 6 months? You might suggest to the second neurosurgeon you saw that the second week in June is too soon for you to get ready for the surgery and ask to postpone it for a few months. As for the craniotomy itself, my recovery was not difficult. It was much easier than a hysterectomy I had years ago when I was young, in my 40s. The issue with recovery is that it would be great if you had a support person when you were discharged. Perhaps your insurance pays for home health care for a certain period after surgery. Otherwise, you might consider paying out of pocket for a certified medical assistant to help with your after care for a few weeks. At the very least, I hope you have a good friend or neighbor who would stop by each day to check up on you. Even if a neighbor is someone you're not particularly close to you'd be surprised how people will step up to help one another during such situations.