After glioblastoma brain surgery, you'll likely experience short-term effects like swelling, headaches, confusion, and weakness, managed with steroids and anti-seizure meds; long-term recovery involves monitoring, potential rehabilitation (physical, occupational, speech therapy) to regain function, and ongoing scans, with outcomes varying widely due to GBM's aggressive nature, but the goal is tumor reduction, followed by radiation and chemotherapy, notes.
After surgery, your healthcare team monitor you closely to look for any signs of complications. They give you medicines to lower the risk of complications. And when you are well enough, they might encourage you to do leg and breathing exercises, and to move around when you are able to.
Despite initial treatment with surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) virtually always recurs. Surgery is sometimes recommended to treat recurrence.
On observation, they found that the tumor cells that were left behind grew around 75% faster than the average rate of growth before the surgery. The ratio of blood vessels to cells is also altered from that of the presurgical glioblastoma.
A brain surgeon, also known as a neurosurgeon, works to remove as much of the cancer as possible. Glioblastoma often grows into the healthy brain tissue, so it might not be possible to remove all of the cancer cells. Most people have other treatments after surgery to kill the cancer cells that are left.
The average glioblastoma survival time is 12-18 months – only 25% of patients survive more than one year, and only 5% of patients survive more than five years.
It has been demonstrated in animal models that sites of injury are a preferential area for tumor growth and that surgical trauma enhances loco-regional metastases (5). Several experimental trials clearly demonstrate that tumor removal is followed by accelerated tumor growth both locally and at distant sites (4, 6).
The few existing reports identified symptoms related to increased intracranial pressure (headache and drowsiness), as well as progressive neurological deficits, epileptic seizures, confusion/delirium, fatigue, and dysphagia as the most prominent symptoms.
If your surgeon is only performing a biopsy, the surgery typically takes 2-3 hours. If your surgeon is performing a craniotomy and removal of your tumor, the surgery typically takes 4-6 hours. If your surgeon using a transsphenoidal approach to remove your tumor, the surgery typically takes 3-4 hours.
The tumor diameter at the time of diagnosis is usually approx. 4 cm [57], although data collected by Simpson et al. (1993) showed that in 38% of 645 patients, the tumor diameter at the diagnosis was < 5 cm, in 56% of cases was within 5–10 cm, while in 6% of patients the tumor was > 10 cm [58].
Some patients will undergo more than 3 resections and yet continue to experience tumor recurrence. The ability of glioblastoma to recur after extensive and repeated resection has made many question the utility of surgery for patients with these tumors.
There are several factors that are believed to increase the risk of glioblastoma, including: Exposure to pesticides, petroleum, synthetic rubber, vinyl chloride and other chemicals. Genetic conditions, such as neurofibromatosis, Li-Fraumeni syndrome and Turcot syndrome that are known to cause tumors.
Treatment includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, but even after treatment, GBM almost always grows back in about 9-10 months.
Avoid rigorous activity for 4 weeks after surgery. You may walk for exercise. At 4 weeks after surgery, you may begin to slowly return to your regular exercise routine. A headache or fatigue is a sign that you are doing too much too soon.
Fear of cancer recurrence is a common experience for people living with brain tumors, particularly for patients with glioblastoma. According to an article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, “most GBM recurs in 6-9 months.”
The current standard glioblastoma multiforme treatment is effective and has resulted in more people living two, three, four years and longer.
The median survival for a glioblastoma prognosis is just one year after diagnosis. Only 5% of glioblastoma cancer patients survive 5 years after diagnosis. Surgery is the mainstay of glioblastoma treatment, followed by oral chemotherapy and radiation.
The main known risks of brain tumor surgery can include infection, bleeding, or damage to surrounding, healthy tissue. Modern advances in surgical techniques and post-operative care have greatly reduced these complications. Most patients recover well, and experience symptom relief.
After brain surgery, you'll stay in the hospital for observation. For less invasive procedures like endovascular surgery, you might only need to stay for one to two days. But after an open craniotomy, you might need to stay in the hospital for up to 10 days.
The cause of most glioblastomas isn't known. Glioblastoma happens when cells in the brain or spinal cord develop changes in their DNA. Healthcare professionals sometimes call these changes mutations or variations. A cell's DNA holds the instructions that tell a cell what to do.
Going Home After Brain Tumor Surgery
You will need to return for a follow-up visit with your surgeon in one week or so to assess your health and remove any staples or stitches. In some cases, they will need to stay in for longer. It will take time to return to your usual level of energy. Healing requires extra rest.
Patients with glioblastoma are often struggling with a great deal of physical and emotional burdens. It is important to listen to them, even if they are unable to communicate verbally.
Most people wake up a few hours after their brain surgery. But sometimes, your surgeon might decide to keep you asleep for a few days after surgery, to help you recover.
The chance of recurrence is higher for:
Brain tumors can return for many reasons, even after surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. Some types are more aggressive and more likely to recur. In other cases, tumor cells that were not fully removed or treated the first time can grow back over time.