Surgery time?

[JHager]

Hi All!

My wife, God bless her, will want to wait in the hospital during my entire surgery.  (I confess: I would do the exact same thing.)  I am hoping that her mom will be able to fly out and be here that day, so at least she can have company.  However, I have no idea how long the surgery might be.  My neurotologist said his part of the surgery usually last about 2.5 hours, and then he'll hand me off to the neurosurgeon, who may take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours, on average.  I've read that the usual average is from 6 to 12 hours.

I'm having translab to remove a 3cm right AN.  Anyone have any similar experiences?  If so, how long was your surgery?

Thanks!

Josh

[sirialison]

Hi - I read your post in the hospital stay category and my diagnosis seem really similar to yours..3.5 cm tumor,lost most of the hearing and balance prior to surgery, body compensating, etc. I didn't have translab but retro-sigmoid surgery so it might not be exact but here's what happened time-wise with me...my daughter kept a log of sorts on the surgery day - good idea to have someone else with your wife as the day gets pretty long. My drs. at Mayo told my family that the surgery may take anywhere from 6 - 12 hours - what they meant was EVERYTHING involved - and they told us after the surgery that they generally give a big window of time so that their bases are covered - you might worry more if they say six hours and it takes eight, etc., etc. And of course, they don't know everything about that tumor until they get in there (is it "sticky"? where's the facial nerve? that sort of stuff..)

So here's how my surgery day went....

6 a.m. - arrived at hospital
7:15 - taken to pre-op
8 a.m. - put under anesthetic
8:58 - incison made
11 a.m. - nurse update, may start closing about 1 p.m., hopefully everything is finished by 5 p.m.
3:15 - nurse update - closing incision started
4:48 p.m. - out of surgery and into recovery and then ICU
7:05 p.m. - family came in to see me

I don't remember much after the surgery but can distinctly remember getting a sponge bath, that the nurse sounded an awful lot like my brother-in-law (that was eerie) and having a small arguement with one of the doctors - he was trying to rouse me and I told him to leave me alone because I had a headache!

The day for you will be very quick!

I had surgery on Wednesday, was in a regular room by Thursday at supper - had a bit of the jello, soft diet, etc. but really just wanted stuff to drink and ice chips - my mouth and throat were extremely dry and sore (I remember them pulling out the breathing tube - it was just like on TV! and I don't ever want to remember anything like it again! Gag!). I was sitting up shortly after that and by 9 p.m. I felt really good (the anesthesia was pretty much gone by then). I was up walking around the next morning (very slowly however), had a shower, ate real food... I was a bit dizzy and weak but that was gone fairly quickly - when they tell you the sooner you get up and going the better - it's true! And keep going!

My eyes did a funky thing tho...it was like they were working independently of each other and I had a hard time focusing, watching TV, etc. They put an eye patch on the surgery side eye and after about a day like that, it was much better. You might not want to count on the gameboy - you'll be resting alot, too! I was discharged on Satuday morning and on my way home (six hour travel time) on Sunday a.m.


My husband and daughter brought card games with them, books/magazines to read, and a laptop computer to watch movies. It was somewhat helpful but not matter what you have to do it's still hard to wait.

Good luck you in your journey.

Siri Meyer
Crookston MN

[JHager]

Siri,

Thanks!

That is EXACTLY what I was looking for.  I don't know if there's much of a time difference between retro-sigmoid and translab; except for the way they go in, they sound pretty similar.  I'll show your timeline to my wife so she can have an idea of what may occur.

If you don't mind my asking, how are you doing now?

Thanks again,

Josh

[sirialison]

Josh - I'm doing well, thanks for asking! There have been all sorts of new, funky, interesting, confusing, amusing (!) things since the surgery. All of this makes for pretty interesting dinner conversation (and I have not tired of using my brain tumor as justification for some of the more "mindless" things I have done or said    !

But best of all, my tumor is GONE! I can deal with the other stuff as it comes up!

Siri

[stein78]

I said see ya later to my wife and family @ 6:30am.  Once I was done with recovery and in the ICU, I saw my wife and family again @ 4:30pm.  Ofcourse for me, it felt like 2 seconds. 

[Frying2Knights]

Hi

I had translab in the UK - it took a little over 8 hours.  The worst bit for my wife was that when they moved me to ICU it was another hour before they would confirm I was okay.  By which time she was convinced I'd died.  Just procedure I guess...

It's an awfully long time to wait.  I'd suggest your wife find something to do while you're under.  Shopping or anything to take her mind off it.  And for her not to worry if you don't come out of surgery when she expects you to.  I was under for two hours longer than expected.

Very best wishes, to you both,

[Kathleen_Mc]

The first time I had the tumor resected I was in surgery from 8 am until around 11 pm.....my family recieved regular updates as they insisted on being there ....I think it was in the evening the next day when I was awake briefly but still on life support, I was able to use hand gestures to find out the time from my father, pinch the nurse to indicate time and motion that the knocking noise from the ventilator tube was too loud (it is hydrated O2 and water builds up in the tube and needs to be shaken up). I was awake when they tired to take me off the ventilator the first time...I didn't breathe and passed out when they were re-intubating me....when I awakened the next time I was off the ventilator. Spent 3 days in N.I.C.U. including the o.r.day.
The second time I had the tumor resected was last month (darn thing regrew....I got great luck don't I) the surgery was only about 3 1/2 - 4 hours, I was able to be awakened but quickly fell asleep by late afternoon and drinking fluids that evening, I was in N.I.C.U. only over night.
The first time I think I got out of bed briefly with help on day four and was walking slowly by myself for short distances on day five, was very dizzy and unbalanced (nerves cut were 7 - 10), my face was very swollen ( somewhat like the "elephant man" looked). Pain was entire body for a while then just my head. I wass off work a total of 3 1/2 months, I am a nurse and my job is physically taxing, maybe if I had a desk job I could have gone back earlier. Depression set in around 1 month post -op and I was rather surprised to find out that brain surgery can disturbe the chemicals in there to do with mood, it has continued to resurface from time to time (usually when I'm over stressed and can't "fight it") and I have been on and off anti-depressants since with good results from low doses.
The second resection was a breese comapired to the first, some pain and dizziness has become a problem again but in time I'm sure it will settle down again.
Anytthing particular of question?
Kathleen