Like any major surgery, brain surgery is a serious procedure, and recovery can take a long time. Your neurosurgeon, such as at Texas Neurosurgery, LLP, will explain the type of procedure that you're having done, but it is always useful to understand some of the things that you can expect in the days and months after your surgery is completed. If you're having brain surgery, be prepared for:

Feeling Out of Sorts for Several Days

After a major brain surgery, you will likely be given a number of medications and painkillers for several days. The combination of these medications may make you feel foggy and groggy. Don't try to fight against the medications—your best bet is to sleep as much as possible and give your body the time it needs to heal.

A Long Recovery Process

Unlike some types of surgery, with brain surgery, you are not likely to be fully recovered in a few weeks. Depending on what type of procedure you have and what part of the brain is being operated on, you may experience physical or neurological issues after surgery. In these cases, you will work with therapists to assist you in regaining proper speech and being able to take care of yourself properly.

Sensations from Nerve Regrowth

Your scalp has a number of nerves, and during brain surgery, your doctor has to cut through through those nerves and your skull to access your brain. In the weeks and months after your surgery, those nerves will regrow, which can cause an unnatural sensation that you may not have experienced before. While most people say that it is not necessarily painful, it may be unexpected and slightly unpleasant.

Change in Your Senses

One side effect that some brain surgery patients report is a marked change in their senses after surgery. It is not uncommon to develop a super sensitive sense of smell, or enhanced hearing. These changes are typically most noticeable in the first few weeks and months after surgery, and many people get used to these changes and don't notice them as much after several months.

Let Someone Take Care of You

Everyone reacts differently to brain surgery and recovers at a different rate. But even with a swift recovery it is really useful to have a person that you can count on to stay with you and help take care of you in the weeks after you are released from the hospital. Your brain is basically the computer that is running your body; as it resets and recovers after surgery it can make everyday activities such as cooking, cleaning, or running errands difficult. A caretaker can assist you in those things so you can focus on recovering from surgery.