My surgery was 2&1/2 hour , including the implantation of the stimulator in my chest. I watched a lot of videos about the procedure and attended conferences about it through my professional affiliation, so I had a good idea what to expect. Still, it was scary when they drilled a hole on my skull because I was awake and fully aware of it, but it didn't hurt. I am so thankful that I am doing well post-op with no apparent complication. There are a lot of online sessions that inform patients about this, I can't remember the name off the top of my head.