Brain Surgery FAQs - Dr Savitr Sastri BV

1. Basic Preoperative Information

Essential preparatory protocols required for any cranial surgery at KIMS Hospital to guarantee optimal brain health, precise mapping, and a completely sterile operating environment.
Precautions Before Surgery:
Wash your hair thoroughly with an antimicrobial shampoo as directed by the clinical team.
Inform your surgical team about all current supplements, herbal items, or medications.
Precautions After Surgery: Avoid straining during bowel movements or hard coughing, as this can briefly increase pressure inside your head.
Timelines to Full Recovery: Brain tissue healing and cognitive energy return gradually over 6 to 12 weeks.
Specific Activity Restrictions: Do not lift items over 3 kg, avoid bending your head below waist level, and completely avoid any contact sports.
Rehabilitation Exercises (In Brief): Early bedside physical therapy, gentle sitting up, and basic cognitive exercises to stimulate focus.

A traditional approach where a window is carefully opened in the skull (craniotomy). Dr. Sastri utilizes an advanced surgical microscope to magnify delicate structures, allowing him to precisely separate and remove a brain tumor while protecting surrounding healthy brain tissue.
Precautions Before Surgery: Complete all necessary high-resolution pre-operative structural brain mapping scans.
Precautions After Surgery: Keep your head elevated on 2–3 pillows (30 degrees) to help reduce normal post-operative facial or scalp swelling.
Timelines to Full Recovery: The skull bone takes about 6 to 8 weeks to heal solidly. Energy levels and mental focus improve steadily over 2 to 3 months.
Specific Activity Restrictions: Absolutely no heavy lifting, no strenuous exercise, and no driving until you have been clear of seizures and cleared by your doctor.
Rehabilitation Exercises (In Brief): Gradual walking, fine-motor coordination practice (like buttoning a shirt), and targeted speech or memory exercises if required.

A minimally invasive approach where deep brain tumors or lesions are accessed through natural pathways (like the nose) or a tiny skull opening. A thin tube with a camera (endoscope) guides the instruments to remove the tumor without manipulating the outer brain.
Precautions Before Surgery: Inform the team if you have any active nasal congestion, sinus infections, or colds.
Precautions After Surgery: If the tumor was accessed through the nose, absolutely do not blow your nose; gently wipe it if needed to protect the healing surgical seal.
Timelines to Full Recovery: Faster recovery than an open surgery; internal healing takes 4 to 6 weeks, with normal activities resuming by week 4.
Specific Activity Restrictions: Avoid sneezing with your mouth closed, do not use straws, and avoid straining during heavy physical activities for 6 weeks.
Rehabilitation Exercises (In Brief): Low-stress walking routines to encourage healthy circulation and clear respiratory patterns.

A life-saving procedure to treat hydrocephalus (excess fluid buildup in the brain). A small, flexible tube is placed into the brain’s fluid spaces and tunneled beneath the skin down to the abdomen, allowing excess fluid to drain away safely and relieve pressure.
Precautions Before Surgery: Ensure a complete baseline neurological and balance assessment is logged by your care team.
Precautions After Surgery: Avoid wearing tight caps, headbands, or heavy glasses that press directly on the skin tract where the shunt tube runs.
Timelines to Full Recovery: Immediate relief from high-pressure headaches. Initial surgical healing takes 2 to 4 weeks, with long-term adjustments tracking over months.
Specific Activity Restrictions: Do not participate in contact sports where you might take a direct hit to the head, neck, or stomach. Avoid strong magnets if your shunt is a programmable model.
Rehabilitation Exercises (In Brief): Balance retraining, steady walking protocols, and regular mobility exercises to adapt to the pressure normalization.

An alternative, non-shunt treatment for specific types of hydrocephalus. Using an endoscope, a tiny, precise opening is made in the floor of the third fluid chamber (ventricle) of the brain, creating a natural bypass for blocked cerebrospinal fluid to flow freely.
Precautions Before Surgery: Standard pediatric or adult neuro-assessment configurations must be completed.
Precautions After Surgery: Watch closely for any return of high-pressure signs, such as an intense headache, vomiting, or unusual sleepiness.
Timelines to Full Recovery: Quick recovery timeline; surgical incisions heal within 2 weeks, and patients can often return to school or light desk work in 3 weeks.
Specific Activity Restrictions: Avoid heavy lifting, direct swimming or soaking your head in water until the scalp incision is fully closed, and avoid intense physical strain.
Rehabilitation Exercises (In Brief): Basic daily stretches and progressive tracking of milestones through a regular walking routine.

A specialized keyhole technique to remove tumors on the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. The endoscope and instruments pass directly through the nostrils, meaning there are no outer incisions on the face or scalp.
Precautions Before Surgery: Comprehensive baseline hormone and vision testing must be completed by your endocrinology and eye specialists.
Precautions After Surgery: Do not bend forward to pick items up (always bend at your knees) to prevent a sudden spike in pressure in your nasal passages.
Timelines to Full Recovery: Internal healing of the nasal structures takes 4 to 8 weeks. Hormone monitoring continues long-term under specialist care.
Specific Activity Restrictions: No nose blowing, no vigorous coughing, no lifting over 3 kg, and avoid using any nasal sprays unless explicitly prescribed.
Rehabilitation Exercises (In Brief): Deep breathing exercises and mild walking routines to rebuild stamina without elevating your blood pressure.

The Surgery Explained Simply: A non-invasive treatment that involves no surgical incisions. Instead, highly precise, pinpoint beams of intense radiation are directed at a tumor or blood vessel malformation deep inside the brain, destroying the target cells while sparing the healthy surrounding tissue.
Precautions Before Surgery: A specialized, lightweight frame or custom mask will be fitted to your head on the morning of treatment to keep your positioning exact.
Precautions After Surgery: You may experience a mild headache or pin-site discomfort where the frame was attached; this is easily managed with simple medication.
Timelines to Full Recovery: Patients typically return home the same day and can resume normal work, school, or daily habits within 24 to 48 hours. The treatment works gradually over months.
Specific Activity Restrictions: There are virtually no strict physical restrictions; simply avoid intense, immediate physical exhaustion for 2 days.
Rehabilitation Exercises (In Brief): No specialized physical rehabilitation is required. Keep a simple log of your symptoms and follow your regular routine.