What to expect during a craniotomy

A member of our team will contact you a few days before surgery to give you details on when to report to the hospital. On the day of surgery Dr. Hatef and many member of the nursing and anesthesia team will meet with you before surgery. When everyone is ready, the anesthesia team will bring you back to the operating room for surgery.

All craniotomies are done under general anesthesia, so you will be fully asleep. After you go to sleep, the team will place more IV lines and a urinary catheter. They may also place a small catheter in the artery at your wrist to closely measure blood pressure. During the actual surgery Dr. Hatef will immobilize your head to ensure there is absolutely no movement during delicate microsurgery. After he clips a minimal amount of hair, he will clean your skin thoroughly with prepping solution and begin the surgery.

Dr. Hatef begins with an incision through the scalp. He makes cuts through the skull to remove a small window of bone and access the part of the brain he is operating on. When the surgery is complete, he will close all the layers of the brain coverings and replace the bone with very thin titanium plates and screws. All implants are MRI-compatible. The skin is then closed, typically with absorbable sutures.

After surgery you will wake up either in an intensive care unit or the postoperative area, depending on how invasive your surgery is. Once you have recovered from anesthesia, typically a few hours, you will be permitted to get out of bed and sit, stand, or walk. Your urinary catheter will usually be removed the next morning. The focus for the first day or two after surgery is on getting back to normal - eating, drinking, walking, and using the bathroom. Dr. Hatef usually discharges his patients home on the second day after surgery.

At home you will continue to improve for the next 2-6 weeks, although by 2 weeks most people are feeling much closer to normal. You will be able to return to work at 4-6 weeks depending on your personally recovery. Dr. Hatef will see you in the clinic at 2 and 6 weeks to check the wound and make sure you are recovering well. His offices can be reached by phone at any time.