Attention Pre-ops!!! How to prevent headaches!!!

[Mei Mei]

Thanks for your advice about neck position in surgery.   Wish I had seen this in time for my Jan 12 surgery.  I had 2 cervical disks removed back in 1989 so have a long history of neck problems.  It didn't have headaches prior to surgery but am woken up by them every night and am managing them with Motrin and Topamax.  I just hate to be in this position to be taking all this medicine and experiencing these killer headaches.  It's downright scary.   You think you're going to be found one day on the floor from a stroke.  I don't want that.   

Anyway, Capt Deb...You've done us a service for posting this.   Keep it up!
 Thanks...
Mei Mei

[mimoore]

All the things we wish we know ahead of time. I hope one day you wake up and there are no more  headaches. I also heard that bone dust left behind  is another way that people experience headaches. I DID speak to my doctor about that and he assured me that he would take extra care once I was sawed open (yikes) to clean up well. No headaches but my massage therapist says I have great range of motion in my neck and maybe that's why? Who knows, I was sleepin'
Michelle 

[Captain Deb]

If your surgeon is going to change the way he does your surgery because of something you saw on the internet its time to find a new surgeon quick. Find a (or 2-3) surgeon(s) who has lots of experience both current and previous and ask him what he likes to do. Do not try to tell your surgeon what to do, either let him do his job or dump him and find a surgeon you like. If you are not an M.D. you are not qualified to tell a Doctor what to do. I can only imagine the frustration good, experienced doctors suffer whenever somebody "discovers" something and tries to tell the pros what to do.  To each his own and I certainly have some minor pain and suffering but I am glad I spoke to every Dr. as a patient not as an expert. Good luck to all and if anyone near the northwest edge of Chicago ever needs help please let me know. I have survived so far so I owe help to anyone
who needs it.

I actually got the information about head position and related headache from attending 2 AN symposium workshops lead by specialists in the field.  The two who clarified this issue for me were Dr Ryzenmann of the Ohio Ear Institute and Dr Leonetti of Loyola.  Dr Ryzenman now positions the head prior to anesthesia as a protocol.  Anyones surgeon can probably contact either of these Drs for more information on this issue, particularly if you have a bad neck to begin with like I did.  If I had had this information prior to my surgery, you bet your butt I would have discussed it with my surgeon!

Capt Deb

[Chitownpete]

If your surgeon is going to change the way he does your surgery because of something you saw on the internet its time to find a new surgeon quick. Find a (or 2-3) surgeon(s) who has lots of experience both current and previous and ask him what he likes to do. Do not try to tell your surgeon what to do, either let him do his job or dump him and find a surgeon you like. If you are not an M.D. you are not qualified to tell a Doctor what to do. I can only imagine the frustration good, experienced doctors suffer whenever somebody "discovers" something and tries to tell the pros what to do.  To each his own and I certainly have some minor pain and suffering but I am glad I spoke to every Dr. as a patient not as an expert. Good luck to all and if anyone near the northwest edge of Chicago ever needs help please let me know. I have survived so far so I owe help to anyone
who needs it.

I actually got the information about head position and related headache from attending 2 AN symposium workshops lead by specialists in the field.  The two who clarified this issue for me were Dr Ryzenmann of the Ohio Ear Institute and Dr Leonetti of Loyola.  Dr Ryzenman now positions the head prior to anesthesia as a protocol.  Anyones surgeon can probably contact either of these Drs for more information on this issue, particularly if you have a bad neck to begin with like I did.  If I had had this information prior to my surgery, you bet your butt I would have discussed it with my surgeon!

Capt Deb

Dr. Leonetti was one of my surgeons, I guess I had a good feeling about him from the beginning for a good reason. I go in tomorrow to have my stiches removed and my 4 week post-op checkup. I will be back to work tomorrow if I get the O.K.

[Dan]

My surgeon explained to me that I was operated on in almost a sitting position (retrosigmoid), like in a dentists chair.  That way he could also sit relaxed beside me while operating 7 hours, and he hardly had to turn my head to operate.  I had no headaches after surgery and only a slightly stiff neck for 3-4 days.

Dan in Germany