Mercy Neurosurgery of North IowaBrain, spine & nerve surgery · Mason City, IowaCall 641-428-7847
Draft: this guide is being reviewed by our surgeons. Always follow the instructions your care team gives you.

After Brain Surgery

This page is for people going home after a craniotomy or other surgery on the head. This includes surgery for a tumor, a shunt, a biopsy, or a head injury.

MRI of the brain, front view, showing a brain lesion.

What is normal

  • Headache. Most people have a headache for a few days to a few weeks. It should slowly get better.
  • Feeling tired. Your brain needs a lot of rest to heal. You may need naps for several weeks.
  • Swelling or bruising around your eye or face on the side of the surgery. This often gets worse for 2 to 3 days, then gets better.
  • A clicking or popping sound or feeling near the incision. This can happen as the bone heals.
  • Numbness on the scalp near the incision. This often fades over months.
  • Mood changes. Feeling sad, worried, or cranky is common after brain surgery. Tell us if it does not get better.

Rest and activity

  • Walk a few times each day. Start short and go a little farther each day. Walking helps prevent blood clots and pneumonia.
  • When you lie down, keep your head raised on 2 pillows for the first few days. This helps with swelling.
  • Do not lift anything heavier than 10 pounds until your surgeon says it is OK. A gallon of milk weighs about 8 pounds.
  • Avoid bending over with your head below your heart. Squat with your knees instead.
  • Do not play sports or do hard exercise until your surgeon says it is OK.

Driving

Do not drive until your surgeon says it is safe. If you had a seizure, or if you are taking strong pain medicine, you will not be able to drive for a while. Iowa has rules about driving after a seizure. Ask us how they apply to you.

Medicines

  • Take your medicines exactly as they are written on your discharge papers.
  • If you were given seizure medicine, do not skip doses or stop it on your own. Missing doses can cause a seizure.
  • If you take a steroid such as dexamethasone (Decadron), take it with food. Do not stop it suddenly. Your dose may be lowered a little at a time.
  • Ask before taking aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve). They can raise the risk of bleeding.

Your incision

Keep it clean and dry. Ask when you may wash your hair. Do not use hair dye, hair spray, or hair gel until the incision is fully healed. Do not wear a tight hat. See Caring for Your Incision for more.

Call 911 right away if you have:a seizure, sudden weakness or numbness on one side, trouble speaking or seeing, confusion that is new or getting worse, or if you are very sleepy and hard to wake up.
Call our office if you have:a headache that keeps getting worse, a fever of 101°F or higher, clear watery fluid leaking from the incision or your nose, or signs of infection. See When to Call Us.
Your care team's instructions come first.This page is general information. If anything here is different from what your surgeon or nurse told you, follow their instructions.