What exactly happens before, during and after a Craniotomy?

If you had the surgery on April 30 it’s barely been 2 months. You’re still healing. I just had an MRI 5 months post surgery and it shows the skull healed but there are also some “changes”. There is some scarring around the location of the former tumor that the radiologist called encephalomalacia and gliosis. It’s pretty common after a craniotomy. Also the entire top of my head is still numb and the incision itches. They tell me it will subside over time. I agree that your doctors should be more on the ball, you should keep on them until they respond. Are you doing alright aside from the healing issues?

I also had a frontal lobe meningioma, not quite tennis ball size but still large enough to cause serious problems. Based on reading other accounts frontal lobe does seem like the least bad area to have a tumor because it’s more accessible than in other areas. Since radiation and chemo were involved did you have a grade 2 or 3 tumor? Were the surgeons able to remove the whole tumor?Mine was grade 2 and completely removed, and the jury is still out regarding radiation treatment. The radiation oncologist was neutral on whether to have radiation treatment. The proposed treatment was intensity modulated radiation, 30 treatments over 6 weeks. I’m worried about long term cognitive effects of that much radiation to the frontal lobe. I’m getting a second opinion on that. Best wishes for a quick and complete recovery.

Greetings everyone:
I have searched throughout the blogs, chats, and other, and cannot find anything pertaining to my issue:
I had my frontal lobe craniotomy on 3 0 April 2025.
My right side of my head is numb, and the bones continue to crack and pop, even if I sneeze, cough, move my eyes too much, et cetera.
In addition, my right forehead feels as when one hits a watermelon -- just empty. I cannot wash my hair or touch the area as it is quite uncomfortable.
The CT scan shows that there is a change.
None of my doctors wish to assist in this matter.
Any responses, please.

Greetings everyone:
I have searched throughout the blogs, chats, and other, and cannot find anything pertaining to my issue:
I had my frontal lobe craniotomy on 3 0 April 2025.
My right side of my head is numb, and the bones continue to crack and pop, even if I sneeze, cough, move my eyes too much, et cetera.
In addition, my right forehead feels as when one hits a watermelon -- just empty. I cannot wash my hair or touch the area as it is quite uncomfortable.
The CT scan shows that there is a change.
None of my doctors wish to assist in this matter.
Any responses, please.

I wanted to add that I had major fatigue from the surgery and recuperation I then had proton beam radiation which added to the fatigue in conjunction with chemo temozolomide if that is spelled right? Tmz

Thank you so much for all those who have responded to my questions. I have decided to wait, not because I don't need the surgery, but because I don't want to have this done right now --bottom line. And the reason is just that I am afraid, I am here in a small south Texas town, so if I am going to have this done, then I want to go somewhere else, maybe Houston.
The size of my meningioma is 3.1 x 3 x 2.1 cm
Cerebral Parenchyma: well-defined extra-axial T2 heterogeneously hyperintense and T1 isointense lesion in the right anterior frontal convexity. The lesion extends into the parafalcine location and abuts the superior sagittal sinus.
I have no idea what some of these words mean, but I am learning as much as I can everyday. I am glad I found this site and I have been able to find so many answers. The 1st doctor (neurologist) told me back in 6-2024, that these things grow really slow it was at 2.7 cm. So I decided to see a surgeon; I had the second mri in march and these were the results. He recommend a surgery, and at first I said yes, but once I found out the real procedures and all the side effects that can happen, than I decided to try a second opinion. He said I could consider radiation; but this last Monday, the oncologist said he would not do it because radiation is only done to kill cancer cells and that the best thing to do is surgery.

Both doctors said the fact that I do not have any serious symptoms and the location; then I can wait for the surgery. I really really don't want to wait for this to grow and then the surgery will be harder, but I just don't want to go thru this right now. I want to see if I can travel to Houston or San Antonio and maybe there have the surgery. Again thank you so much for your time and information and I will continue to look for your posts. Some of your answers make me feel at ease, and I know that I have to go thru this eventually so for now I hope I can find a good doctor soon.

Thank you Colleen for answering my message. I'm still trying to understand how to reply/post here. Well my surgery was schedule for May 22, but I am having second thoughts. I really feel fine and so I am really worried about the side effects of this surgery. I was told back in June 2024 that this meningiomas grow really slow - but when I had the second one it has grown more than what I consider slow 2.7 to 3.1 cm. I don't have any symptoms (other than chronic headaches, that I have learned to live with). The neurosurgeon referred me to an oncologist, but he said that he recommends surgery, because radiation is only to kill cancer cells and that he doesn't really want to give me more radiation (since I have already been treated for the leukemia.) When I told the neurosurgeon about my doubts, he said we could wait another 6 months to get another mri and then from there decide on the surgery. So I think that is what I am going to do. I am going to keep getting and finding out as much info as I can on everything and then make a decision. Thank you again for taking the time to answer.