did anyone get physical therapy arranged prior to surgery?

[heidi g]

hello to all out there!
i'm scheduled for surgery to remove 'harold' (my AN tumor) on july 28. but i have a question for ya'all: did your doctor recommend physical therapy prior to surgery? or is that just recommended after surgery, when a need is evident?

thanks for any answers!
-heidi

[kawman600]

I asked my Dr. if there was any thing i could do prior to surgery that would help my recovery and he told me no, but looking back after having surgery i can say i wish i would have done a lot of the balance therapy that i am doing now prior to surgery as i think it would have helped  a lot especially building the leg muscles up!

[HeadCase2]

Hi Heidi,
  My neurosurgeon referred me for Vestibular Retraining therapy, with a physical therapist trainined in that type of therapy, about 2 weeks after therapy.  It really did help move things along faster.  In retrospect, I would go ahead and set it up.
Regards,
  Rob

[Jim Scott]

Heidi ~

I would set something up on a tentative basis beforehand but until you've had the surgery, you won't know for certain exactly what you'll need.  For instance, I had expected to need weeks of balance training but actually needed just 3, 30-minute sessions (in my home, by a VNA trainer). Every AN patient is unique but making some kind of plan is always a good idea.

Jim

[leapyrtwins]

I never had physical therapy, but my neurotologist gave me vestibular exercises to do pre and post op.

His theory is if you do the exercises pre op you'll be used to doing them so they aren't as difficult post op.

He was right. 

He also offered to refer me to a PT post op, but I didn't feel I needed it so I declined.

Jan

[ernie h]

heidi.i guess i didn't do enough homework prior to surgery.(but looking back if i did i probably would have been terrified).but in ansewer to your question i wasn't even aware there was balance/vestibular therapy.only after my surgery quite some time later because of my complaining the dr suggested it.and the therapy woman said it's amazing how many people don't find out about it and or aren't referred until much, much later good luck ernie h.

[CHD63]

Heidi .....

I would have to agree with Jim that no one knows for sure until after surgery, how much of a problem your balance may be.  My neurosurgeon told me I wouldn't need any specialized therapy afterwards ..... that just getting up and walking, turning, moving in general would be sufficient ..... that my brain would quickly retrain to the other side.  Well, no one knew that I had had damage from retrosigmoid approach brain surgery 14 years earlier to the non-AN side.  Apparently all of those years in between, my AN side vestibular nerve had been carrying the load.  When it was gone, I soon learned that I had significant balance issues.  Thus, when I came back home I asked my primary care doctor for a referral ..... first with a local regular physical therapist, then with a trained vestibular therapist (50 miles away).  I saw steady progress with their help.  I am now on a home program that I will have to probably continue (at least in modified form) for a very long time.

Unless there is a long waiting list for vestibular therapists in your area (you can always check now), you should be able to get an immediate referral post-op if you find it necessary.  I don't think starting at day 3 or day 10 makes much difference.  Others may disagree ......   

Clarice

[MissMolly]

My PT was arranged after surgery.  I had a much needed screening from the PT at Mass General, who then made sure orders were in for the Home Health and Hospice people to send someone over the day I returned home from the hospital.  She did an inventory of my 'safety' in the home, did a few exercises and referred me to another PT who did one home visit.  I'm now scheduled for outpatient next week.  It all was arranged very nicely after the surgery.

Molly