How much hair will be shaved?

[SusanVH]

Hi,

I'll be having a 1.8 cm AN removed at Duke-Raleigh Hospital in a couple of weeks, with Drs. Fukushima and Cunningham. I'm actually looking forward to it—can't wait to get rid of this mouth/tongue pain, facial numbness, and water-in-the-ear feeling on the right side.

I'm pretty clear on the surgical part of things—thank you, YouTube—but wondering how much hair will be shaved on the back of my head. I know, seems trivial in the grand scheme of things. Still, I'd like to know what I can expect.

Thanks for any input!

Susan

[CHD63]

Hi SusanVH and welcome to this forum of caring, supportive, new friends  .....

Dr. Fukushima removed my 2.6 cm AN via retrosigmoid approach in 2008 at Duke Raleigh Hospital.  They only shaved about an inch and a half swath along about a 5 inch strip and my hair completely covered it afterwards.

You will love Duke Raleigh Hospital.  Nice big private rooms and an excellent nursing staff.

Many thoughts and prayers.

Clarice

[SusanVH]

Thanks so much, Clarice!

Great news about the hospital, and nice to know what kind of new hairstyle I may be sporting post-retrosigmoid. 

Susan

[ANGuy]

My young kids play soccer and many of their coaches are college age players.  All of these college kids shave part of their hair and grow the rest long.  I haven't had my surgery, so I can't tell you how much will shave off, but you WILL be at the height of fashion.  Don't be surprised if you keep it styled that way!

Good luck and prayers for your recovery!

[SusanVH]

We'll all be so trendy, we AN surgery recoverers!

Thanks for the kind words and thoughts, ANGuy. 

[ANGuy]

[SusanVH]

  , ANGuy!

[ANGuy]

It's an old joke that goes something like this:

Patient:  Dr., after surgery, will I be able to play piano?

Dr.:  Of course, why not?

Patient:  Because I never could before!


Change that to:

SusanVH: Dr., after surgery, will I look like this?

[cassie]

I didn't really have ANY of my hair shaved, except for a thin strip where the insition was made and a patch around where a shunt was put in. You couln't really tell from my hair what I had been through. My doctor said he just doesn't feel the need to shave off so much hair, to try to preserve the after-surgery confidence for the patient.  Wish he would have tried harder to preserve my faial function!!!!