On the day of your craniotomy, remember to:
- Follow the instructions exactly about when to stop eating and drinking. If you don't, your surgery may be canceled. If your doctor told you to take your medicines on the day of surgery, take them with only a sip of water.
- Take a bath or shower before you come in for your surgery. Do not apply lotions, perfumes, deodorants, or nail polish.
- Do not shave the surgical site yourself.
- Take off all jewelry and piercings. And take out contact lenses, if you wear them.
At the hospital or surgery center
- Bring a picture ID.
- The area for surgery is often marked to make sure there are no errors.
- You will be kept comfortable and safe by your anesthesia provider. The anesthesia may make you sleep. Or it may just numb the area being worked on.
- The surgery can take 30 minutes to 12 hours.
Day of your surgery: Consultations and procedures
Your surgical care team is ready for you, and we’re here to answer your questions.
Talk with your surgeon
You will have an opportunity to briefly speak with your surgeon in the few minutes leading up to surgery. Your surgeon will review the consent form with you and initial on the operative side, if required per hospital protocol.
Doctors in training at your surgery
Stanford is a teaching hospital. Your surgeon may have a medical student, resident, fellow, or surgical assistant working in the operating room. Your surgeon will perform all the important aspects of the procedure and manage your care. If you have questions or concerns, please discuss them with your surgeon before the day of your surgery.
Anesthesia and pain management
You may want a sedative (medication that reduces anxiety) to help you relax before surgery. You can ask your pre-operative nurse to order you one when you check in.
You will have already met with your anesthesiologist before going back to surgery to discuss your options and preferences for anesthesia. The anesthesiologist will stand near your head to administer the anesthesia and monitor you before and during surgery.
Your surgeon may also give you a local anesthetic and may perform nerve blocks if needed. The surgeon may order pain medication before your procedure to help with inflammation and pain in the immediate recovery period.
During your surgery
As your surgical team prepares you for surgery, we keep you covered with blankets for warmth.
You may need a catheter (a thin, sterile tube inserted through your urethra into your bladder to drain urine). If so, the care team will place the catheter just before surgery.
Your anesthesiologist will stay near your head, focused on your care. The surgeon may say some positive words as you fall asleep.
You will likely not remember anything in the operating room, which is normal for patients who have anesthesia. Your first memories after surgery will probably be in the recovery room.
Going home
- Be sure you have someone to drive you home. Anesthesia and pain medicine make it unsafe for you to drive.
- You will be given more specific instructions about recovering from your surgery. They will cover things like diet, wound care, follow-up care, driving, and getting back to your normal routine.
- You may need to go to a short-term rehabilitation center after you leave the hospital. This can help you learn to do the tasks you need to do after you go home.
Published April 2018
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