Surgery/recovery timetable

[Sefra22]

During my research I've noted that many AN surgeries are about 6 hours, with a 6 day hospital stay, and 6 week recovery time.  (666, that's weird!)  When I met with my Neurosurgeon he told me the surgery would be 4 hours, I would be hospitalized for 4 days, and back to work (retail manager, on my feet all day) after 4 weeks. He is a highly regarded surgeon, and I'm sure he is baseing this on the experiences of his former patients. I wonder though, is it the type of surgery (retrosigmoid) as opposed to the other types that reduces the time, or could it be that he is really that skilled?

[Obita]

Sefra22:

My surgeon told me it would take between 4 and 8 hours to get the tumor out.  It was 8.5 hours.  They had to go  around my jugular bulb (mine was high - what ever that is - I guess it is as common as left handed people vs right handed) but once they got to the tumor it came out easy.  If it had been a sticky tumor it would have taken even longer.  They really don't know how long it will take to disect the tumor until they get to it.  I hope you are a 4 hour.

I was in the hosp. 3 days and back to work at 8 weeks.  My dr. left the time off up to me.  Everyone is different.  Plan on a few months, if you want to go back earlier go for it.  I did do part time for a few weeks to ease back into it.  The fatigue was still there for me at 8 weeks and my mind got very tired after a few hours at work the first two weeks back.

Good luck,  Kathy

[Jeanlea]

I had a 3.5 cm tumor that was pressing on my brainstem.  My doctor said the surgery would take about 12 hours.  It ended up taking closer to 13 hours.  The tumor was very sticky.  I was NICU for 3 days and a regular room for 5 days.  Went home and ended up back in the hospital a couple of weeks later for a blood clot in my lungs.  Eight weeks after my surgery I returned to work.  The first two weeks were part time although I did do some days full time.  I never really had any problems with fatigue.  Guess that's because I know how to take it easy all the time. lol

Jean

[Joef]

Everyone is different ..I talked to one guy at the Hospital just before my surgery and he was going home after 3 days!  I think on AVERAGE , and lot depends a tumor size .. hospital stays are 4-6 days and work 4 to 8 weeks, if ALL goes well.

I was on the long side ... 7 days .. plus I was still using a walker when I left .. but I told the doc I wanted to leave .. and he said I could. I did return to work at about 8 weeks (after I had told work at pre op only 3-4 weeks !!) I was lucky, as I did not drive for several months, but my wife's job she drove by my work, so I hitched a ride with her! I did have a hard time with typing at first (I am a computer programmer!) .. but at least I was sitting down! and I could help with questions and such .. and the typing did come back a few more weeks (lots of pratice!)  ... I would say the first 6 months after the op where hell .. but it did get better! .. and now a year later , Life has returned to normal .. I still have some facial issues, and I need eye drops , but not nearly as much as before .. on some days I only use drops 1 or twice a day! ..

[Battyp]

Stand on your feet doing retail all day
Everyone is different.
My surgery was suppose to be 6 hours it ended up being about 9 due to complications.  I'm still not back to work and trying to retrain for something I can do from home.
I couldn't stand on my feet for retail, I can barely handle the grocery store on a good day due to the balance problems.  I do know I'm one of those exceptions to the rules too! 
I think with this you make a plan a, b and c and hope for the best!

[Boppie]

Lisa, my age would imply a longer recovery, but not so.  I had a 9 hour surgery for a very sticky 2 cm tumor.  I was out of the hospital on the fifth morning.  I rode 115 miles home in the car.  I was at the keyboard at one week.  I drove short distances at two weeks.  I had a brief duration of dry eye and loss of smile.  I had lost 65% of my hearing and balance.  So balance recovery was not difficult.  My friends and family hardly noticed my recovery symptoms. 

I haven't had a revisit to the doctor/neurosurgeon since he took my stitches out.  No complications.  I have the expected normal problems with taste buds. My surgeon originally estimated 6-9 hours for my surgery time.

[Gennysmom]

Lisa....one of my surgeons said back to work in 3 months, the other said 6-8 weeks.  I'm giving it a try next week at 8 weeks.  I think I'm ready.  I've heard that whenever you feel like going back to work, give it another week or two.  My surgery was 6 1/2 hours and my tumor was sticky and on 6 nerves.  I was in ICU for a day, and my total stay was 3 1/2 days.  I was told by my doctor, and I think it's good advice, to get out of the hospital ASAP.  He didn't want me to get a secondary infection.  If you have balance issues after surgery, you may be in for the longer road....if I hadn't had them, I'd of been up and about sooner.

[HeadCase2]

Lisa,
  I think neurosurgeons, by their nature, have a positive outlook.  They expect a lot of themselves and their hard won skills, and don't expect "substandard" recovery times.  So some of them can be a bit overly optimistic.  With my surgical team, I had one doctor that was a bit overly optimistic, and the second one was right-on with her time estimates.  AN treatment and recovery times can very quite a bit, depending on the AN itself, the doctors' skill in treatment, the patient's general health and motivation, etc. 
  For your particular AN the doctors are the best judge of an estimated recovery time.  But it's also good to see the experiences that other AN patients have had on this site, as a backup estimate.  Good luck with your treatment, and look forward to the 4 week recovery time, but it doesn't hurt to have a backup plan in case it takes longer.
Regards,
 Rob 

[Kathleen_Mc]

Sefra22: My first surgery was 15-16 hours long, I was in hospital for 10 days (I think)post op and off work 3 1/2 months. My second surgery (for AN removal that is) was 4 hours, I was in hospital 4 days and off work 3 months. It all depends on how invasive the surgery is, what nerves are lost (if the balance is an issue it takes longer to recover than if not), personal factors (age, physical well being, mind set, job requirements). I had to be off so long the second time because of the type of work I do and high risk of physical injury in my work place.
Kathleen

[Captain Deb]

I think I may hold the record for the shortest surgery--2 1/2 hrs.(tonsillectomy anyone?) And the longest recovery--2 years. I still can't put in a 40 hour week.  I am a self-employed artist and my work involves a lot of bending, lifting, and lots of head-turning, not to mention the ability to paint a line that goes where I want it to. My first painting post-op was a small pastel of a huge sky (no lines) with a harbor with sailboats (what else?)in the foreground. Dr.Love comes up as I'm putting the finishing touches on it and says, "That looks great, but what's up with the masts?" I had painted the sailboat masts of my little marina in at about a 15 degree list to the left (my AN side) Hell, they looked fine to me!
I scrubbed 'em out and repainted them--again tilted to port. I finally got a square out and repainted 'em only this time the whole horizon was off. I decided to keep the painting, wonky as it is, as a reminder of how far I've come.

Shlepping a seven foot canvas around a small studio with a balance disorder is no small feat! I can't do any plein-aire (painting on-site) anymore and rely on digital images that I took when I was still able to hike a mile up a creekbed to a waterfall by myself! I use a computer screen to display the images, which has helped with the headturning.

Sorry for rambling, but the point is we adjust and there are no guarantees with this AN bugger.  People with the same size tumors and the same docs, even have different outcomes. At House, I met 6 or 7 fellow AN survivors and we all ended up with different recoveries, issues, non-issues, etc.

Just keep a positive attitude if you can and hope for the best!
Capt Deb

[Peanut]

How true, and well put.  I'll save my saga for another time and just second Capt. Deb's observations.

Peanut

[msuscottie]

First surgery took me about 6 months to get back to work, second surgery only took abot 6 weeks.

[Desilu]

HI Sefra22,

My surgery lasted 4 hours (middle fossa) ICU for one day and was released on the fourth day. I felt good enough to do some sightseeing in Los Angeles the next day, with the help of my sister (someone to hang on to). I went back to work full time after 8 weeks. Had minor problems after surgery which is to be expected but am now back to normal. Everyone heals differently, so your recovery will be different than everyone elses. I wish you the best!  Ann

[Jim Scott]

There simply is no clear pattern to either surgical duration or personal recovery time. 

I was supposed to be in surgery for 9 to 12 hours, yet it actually lasted less than 8 hours.   My conservative nuerosurgeon was very clear that my recovery would take at least eight weeks - yet mine was closer to four (I was driving within 4 weeks).   Go figure.

Hey, at 63, I'm not complaining -  but my surgeon, who is very experienced with AN surgery, was amazed. I'm not exactly disappointed, either.  The point is that a 'ballpark' (average) time frame is the best a surgeon can give us.  All together now: Everyone is different !


Jim

[Sefra22]

Thanks everyone, you are all so helpful.  From your replies, it appears there does seem to be a correlation between length of surgery and length of recovery, except for you Captain Deb It must be because you are a very unique and special person! But I also see that there's no way a surgeon will know for sure how long it will take until he's in there.