Brain Tumor Surgery: Types and Recovery

Brain tumor surgery is done to remove the tumor from the brain. In other words, it is an operation that is performed to reduce the pressure inside the brain. In the event that you are diagnosed with a brain tumor, the primary treatment available to you is brain tumor surgery. It is done to remove the tumor, either in its entirety or as much as possible. Surgery is usually an initial step taken to treat early stages and other malignancies. It is the treatment most approached by all, where the tumor can be easily removed without any risk of neurological damage.

Types of Brain Tumor Surgery

Listed below are the common types of brain tumor surgery performed to date.

1. Biopsy: Surgery performed to remove a sample of tumor tissue.

2. Craniotomy: Operation carried out to remove a part of the skull. By doing so, it allows the neurosurgeon to find and remove as much of the tumor as possible. The removed part is replaced after surgery.

3. Craniectomy: It is similar to a craniotomy. The only difference in this operation is that the removed part of the skull is not replaced.

4. Debulking: Surgery is done to reduce the size of the tumor.

5. Partial removal: An operation carried out to remove only part of the tumor (due to the risk of a neurological disorder)

6. Complete removal: Surgery is done to remove the entire tumor.

7. Shunt: Engineered drainage system inserts allow excess fluid to be moved from the brain to another part of the body.

8. Ommaya Reservoir – A small container that is inserted under the scalp and connected to a tube. The container is used for:

a) Giving chemotherapy treatment to the brain and surrounding cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

b) Extract CSF to detect the presence of healthy cells.

c) Extract the cystic fluid without the need for surgery.

9. Skull-Based Surgery: It belongs to the area of ​​a tumor as well as the specialized technique used in the removal of tumors in this field.

10. Transsphenoidal surgery: Surgery performed to operate pituitary adenomas and craniopharyngiomas.

11. Laser interstitial thermal therapy: It is a minimally invasive method of tissue ablation with heat. It is an efficient technique and the safest used to date. It is also considered as a minimally invasive option for new or recurrent primary and metastatic tumors anywhere in the brain.

Recovery time for brain tumor surgery

Recovery time depends on:

1. All the operation done.

2. The part of the brain where the tumor is found.

3. The areas of the brain affected by the surgery.

4. The patient’s age and general health.

Medical disclosure:

The information contained in this article is presented for the purpose of educating people. Nothing contained in this article should be construed or intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider. If you have any health care related questions, call or consult your physician or other qualified health care provider immediately. Always consult with your physician or other qualified health professional before embarking on any new treatment, diet, or fitness program.

You should never ignore medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read in this article.