Below are some of the side effects you may experience after surgery for a brain or spinal cord tumour.
| Infection | Although the risk is small, you may develop an infection at the wound site. This can usually be treated with antibiotics. A small number of people may need surgery to have the wound cleaned out and possibly the bone flap removed. Another surgery will usually be done later on to replace the missing area, for safety and to look natural. |
| Bleeding | This is a rare but serious side effect. You will have a CT or MRI scan the day after surgery to check for any bleeding or swelling. |
| Swelling | Surgery can cause swelling in the brain, which increases the pressure inside the skull (intracranial pressure). Your medical team will monitor the swelling and try to reduce it with medicines. |
| Other side effects | You may continue to feel confused and dizzy, have speech problems, weakness in parts of the body and seizures. You and your family or carers may be surprised that you may feel worse than before the surgery and worry that you are not recovering well. These side effects are normal and often improve with time. |
Rehabilitation
Some people recover and can gradually return to their usual activities. For others, there are longer-term changes to speech, movement, behaviour and thinking. A range of therapies can help recovery or show you ways to manage any longer-term changes. These therapies are known as rehabilitation.
At first, you may have some rehabilitation therapies in the hospital or a rehabilitation facility. Once you return home, you can continue rehabilitation therapies as an outpatient.
Learn about some different types of rehabilitation therapies.
For more on this, see our general section on Surgery.
→ READ MORE: Radiation therapy for brain cancer
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Prof Lindy Jeffree, Director of Neurosurgery, Alfred Health, VIC; Caitriona Nienaber, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Prof Tamara Ownsworth, Clinical Neuropsychologist and Research Director, The Hopkins Centre, Griffith University, QLD; A/Prof Hao-Wen Sim, Medical Oncologist, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Megan Trevethan, Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapy – Cancer and Lymphoedema Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital, QLD; Chris Twyford, Cancer Specialist Nurse, Canberra Health Services, Cancer and Ambulatory Support, ACT; Dr Adam Wells, Clinical Academic Consultant Neurosurgeon, The University of Adelaide, Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA.
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