Rehabilitation after Brain Tumor Surgery

Brain surgery can take a toll on your body and recovering from it can be difficult for you.

You should keep in mind that every person takes a different amount of time to recover after a major operation. Some people may recover within weeks or months. But, for others, recovery can be longer. Your life after brain tumor surgery will be different from before. You will be expected to go for follow-up sessions and receive rehabilitative treatments for a speedy recovery.

Follow-Up Appointments After Brain Tumor Surgery

Usually, patients have to stay in the hospital for about 3-10 days after the surgery.  Once you have been discharged, you will stay in touch with your healthcare team. After the brain tumor surgery,  you will have regular follow-ups with your neurologist and nurses. These follow-up sessions will help the doctor to evaluate your progress. You should attend these appointments regularly and share whatever concerns you have with your doctor.

How often you have these follow-up sessions will be influenced by:

• The type of brain tumor
• Side effects, if any
• Whether you had a slow or fast-growing tumor

You can expect to see your neurologist or neurosurgeon every few weeks. These appointments will become less frequent if you are not experiencing any problems. It is possible that you may experience some issues after the surgery. These health problems can be easily identified and resolved in follow-up sessions.

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Some of the issues that you may face after Brain Tumor Surgery are

• Body weakness
• Difficulty with walking and speech
• Fatigue
• Memory problems
• Personality changes
• Problems with vision and hearing

You and your family may begin to worry as these issues appear. But, you should know that most of these symptoms will lessen or disappear with time.
If you continue to experience these for a long period, you should contact your neurosurgeon or neurologist immediately.

Rehabilitation: Getting the Right Support

Rehabilitative treatments can benefit people who are experiencing problems like stiffness, difficulty in speaking, movement issues, and weakness after the brain tumor surgery. It can help to recover quickly by enabling you to perform daily activities as optimally as possible.

Rehabilitation is provided by physical, speech, and occupational therapists. Each of these specialists is trained in different areas of post-operative rehabilitation.

• Physical therapists: Some patients may face mobility issues after the surgery. In such situations, physical therapists can assist in improving their strength, walking, and balance.  Physical therapy involves exercises that focus on enhancing your range of motion after the surgery. These will also ensure that your body posture is correct to minimize the pain and the possible freezing of your limbs.
• Occupational therapists:  After surgery, it can be difficult for the patient to perform daily activities like cooking, driving, and writing. An occupational therapist helps patients regain their independence. Whether it is cooking or playing your favorite sport, an occupational therapist can help you in setting goals and use therapeutic interventions to attain them.
• Speech therapists: These professionals help patients overcome issues associated with understanding speech and verbalizing their thoughts.  The speech therapist also supports patients when they are facing difficulties with swallowing and eating food.
• Cognitive rehabilitation experts:  After the surgery, you may experience changes in your personality, concentration, memory, and communication. This can be stressful and affect your quality of life. But, cognitive rehabilitation can reduce behavioral changes and cognitive problems. Neuropsychologists may suggest compensation techniques, medications, and counseling to improve the patient’s mental functioning. Compensation techniques develop skills to make up for the ones that may have been affected because of surgery such as movement, speech, and sight. The patient will be taught to cope with memory loss by keeping a calendar, organizers, and reminder gadgets.

Counseling can be particularly helpful if the patient is experiencing personality and behavioral changes such as moodiness or frustration.

According to WHO, rehabilitation is crucial for a quick recovery but in many parts of the world, the need for rehabilitation is largely unmet. If your area lacks proper rehabilitation services then you need not restrict yourself and you can pursue online rehabilitation or telerehabilitation from well-trained experts. This will allow you to recover faster and better after the brain surgery.

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Conclusion

As you step into a new life after a brain tumor surgery, you will experience a lot of change. Rehabilitation can be a stepping stone to achieving your independence. By relying on the support of your friends, family, and healthcare professionals, you can quickly get back to your normal self in no time!

Reference Links:

• https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/brain-tumours/treatment/surgery/recovering
• BrainTumor