Best Hospital For Brain Tumor Surgery in India

Brain Tumor Surgery - Overview

A brain tumor is a group, or mass, of abnormal cells in your brain. Your skull, which encloses your brain, is very stiff. There are different types of surgery and surgeons who use various instruments and methods to remove your brain tumor. Any growth inside such a restricted space can cause problems inside the brain. This can be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign).

The procedure for brain tumor surgery involves removing a part of the bone from the patient’s skull for better access to the intracranial part of the brain. Based on where the tumor is located and accessibility of the tumor, the surgery either helps in removing it completely or partially. In cases of partial removal, the patient might also need chemotherapy or radiation to post the brain tumor surgery.

Brain Tumor Surgery - Symptoms

some of the very usual symptoms of a brain tumor may include:

Unexplained vomiting or nausea
Seizures or fits
Vision issues like blurred vision, double vision or peripheral vision
Sleep or memory problems
Constant headaches that get more frequent and severe with time
Change in the pattern of headaches

Your neurosurgeon will recommend a tumor surgery to treat brain tumor and also to:

Diagnose the exact type of brain tumor
Insert a ventricular access device or a medicated plastic capsule to
Insert chemotherapy chips in the patient’s brain
properly administer the cancer drugs given to the patient

Brain Tumor Surgery - Pre-Procedure

Before operating the tumor your surgeon will first recommend a biopsy to diagnose the type of tumor and then decide the right plan for brain surgery or brain tumor treatment based on all the test reports. The biopsy takes usually a single day procedure that is conducted in the hospital’s daycare. Once the treatment plan is ready, your surgeon will give the following instructions:

Fast for 8 to 10 hours before the surgical procedure
Stop blood-thinning medications a minimum 10 days before the surgery
Wash hair at least one day before the surgery and ensure they are dry so that your head can be shaved properly

Brain Tumor Surgery - During Procedure

A brain tumor surgery is performed under general anesthesia by a reputed neurosurgeon and his competent team. Since this is a very complex surgery, it can take anywhere between 4 to 8 hours to finish the whole procedure. The following are the steps involved in the surgical technique:

In the first step the surgeon will treat the part of the head that needs to be operated will be shaved and the skin will be thoroughly cleansed.
Then the surgeon will insert an IV line in the arm and a urinary catheter is inserted to drain the urine during and post the procedure.
Based on the type of procedure, the surgeon will make an incision from behind the ear to the nape of the neck or in some other location as per the treatment plan. The incisions are relatively smaller in the case of endoscopic surgeries.
The surgeon will then pull the scalp back in order to easily access the brain. A drill or a medical saw may be used to cut the skull.
Next, the bone flap is removed and the thick covering below the bone is separated from the bone while facilitating the fluid to flow out
Once this is done, the tumor is exposed and the surgeon carefully removes it using specialized equipment. In case it is not fully accessible, the only partial tumor is removed
When the tumor is fully removed, the bone flaps are reattached using medical plates and screws
The incision is then sutured and a bandage is applied

Brain Tumor Surgery - Post-Procedure

Post brain tumor surgery, the patient is kept in the hospital for one or two weeks. In case when only partial tumor is removed, patients might have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation just after the surgery to kill the cancer cells still remaining in the brain. In many of the cases, the patient may experience slight swelling in the brain after the surgery. The team of doctors will constantly keep a check on the patient to ensure the coordination of the brain and body post-op. For instance, pupils are checked by flashing light in the eyes and strength of the arms and legs is also regularly monitored. Once the patient is discharged, the doctor will recommend:

Regular exercise with the assistance of a physiotherapist
Avoiding heavy lifting for a few weeks post the surgery
Deep breathing exercises so that the lungs expand and contract, minimizing the risk of pneumonia
Walking around a little to prevent blood clots in the legs and to speed up the recovery process

Usually, it will take at least 2-3 months for patients to recover completely after this surgery.

Brain Tumor Surgery - Risk & Complications

Brain tumor surgery is an extensive surgery and it comes with quite a few risks and complications. The surgeon will explain all the pros and cons of the surgery beforehand and help the patient understand the severity of the associated risks. Some of the known complications include:

Meningitis
Cerebrospinal fluid leakage
Repeated seizures after the surgery
Formation of blood clots in the brain or other body parts
In some rare cases, paralysis or memory loss
Brain haemorrhage (bleeding in the brain)
Swelling in the brain
Pneumonia or infection in the lungs

Brain Tumor Surgery - Doctors

Dr. Sandeep Vaishya

Director , MBBS, MS, MCh, Fellowship

Neuro and Brain

20 Years of Experience
Dr. Rana Patir

Director , MBBS, MS, MCh

Neurosurgeon

24 years of experience
Dr. Sumit Sinha

Director , MCh, DNB, MS, MBBS

Neurosurgeon

14 years of experience
Dr Aditya Gupta

Director , MBBS, MCh

Neurosurgeon

21 years of experience