For general info about having an operation see our having surgery section.
biopsy
A biopsy is the removal of a small bit of tumour to find out exactly what sort of tumour it is (there are quite a few different types of brain tumour). It involves an operation (under an anaesthetic), which means you’ll need to stay in hospital for a few days. Before the op you’ll have a brain scan (a CT or MRI), which helps the doctors identify the exact position of the tumour. During the operation a very small hole, (called a burr hole) is made in the skull. A fine needle is then passed down through the burr hole to remove a small piece of the tumour. It’s then sent off to the lab to be analysed.
Once the doctors know the type of tumour they can plan further treatment.
surgery to remove the tumour
Surgery to remove a brain tumour involves having a general anaesthetic and staying in hospital for a short while. For this type of operation it’s necessary to open the skull (a procedure called a craniotomy). Some of your hair may need to be shaved off before the op. This will happen in the anaesthetic room just beforehand. Some people prefer to have all of their hair shaved and to wear a wig or a baseball cap while it grows back. It’s totally up to you. (For more info on coping with losing your hair visit our deal with it section).
During the operation the surgeon will cut your scalp and the piece of skull over the area of the tumour, remove the tumour itself and replace the piece of skull. The flap of scalp is then stitched back in place.
Sometimes it’s not possible to remove the whole of the tumour. When only a part of it is removed this is called partial resection or debulking.
is there anything else I should know?
In some situations, it’s just too difficult to remove even a small part of the tumour. Or it may be that your specialist thinks another treatment would be better for you. They will discuss this fully with you and you can ask any questions you like to help you understand your options.
what happens after the op?
How long you stay in hospital depends on the extent of your operation and any other treatment that you might need.
Straight after the op it’s likely that you’ll be taken to the intensive care unit. This is so that you can be looked after closely for the first 12 – 24 hours after surgery. At first you may be cared for on a machine that maintains your breathing (a ventilator).
Your head might be bandaged and you may have a tube from the site of the operation (to drain excess blood from your head wound) into a plastic bottle. This is usually taken out within a couple of days. You might also have some swelling and bruising around your face and eyes. The swelling should go after about 48 hours and the bruising within a few days.
You might experience some pain and discomfort after the surgery but the medical staff will make sure you have plenty of painkilling drugs. You might find that you feel sick too. Again, the staff will give you medicine to help control this.
All of this sounds a bit dramatic but the effects of this kind of op usually settle pretty quickly.
how will I feel?
Going through this kind of surgery is pretty tough and you’ll probably have good and bad days. You might find that you’re a bit more tearful, fed up or irritable at times. This is really normal and it can help to talk things over with someone close or a counsellor.
