Mark Swaim MD, Ph.D., shares that recovery from a brain aneurysm surgery depends from person to person and on what type of repair was administered. An essential factor to consider is if there was any bleeding into the brain before the surgery, or did the surgeon repair the aneurysm before any bleeding occurred?
A person whose aneurysm has been detected and diagnosed by a doctor by way of a scan has the time to prepare for their surgery and recovery. The surgeon may then recommend one or the other of the two most common methods for repairing an aneurysm, which are clipping and coiling.
Recovery scenarios
Mark Swaim MD, Ph.D., explains that for clipping, you may be in the hospital for four to six days. It may take you a month to six weeks before fully recovering. For coiling, you may be in the hospital for only one to two days, and with a faster recovery rate possibly happening within five to seven days.
The following are the side effects that can be expected from either of the two types of repair. Do your best to prepare for them beforehand to help you through your recovery stage:
- Fatigue. Plan to have help at home. Take the doctor’s advice as to when you can return to your normal routine. Until then, Mark Swaim MD, Ph.D., suggests for you to stay in a calm and quiet place where you can have plenty of rest.
- Compromised coordination, vision, and balance. Enlist the help of someone to drive you home after the surgery and help you with routine tasks and chores at home. Plan to have someone drive for you to your doctor appointments until it is safe for you to venture out on your own again.
- Trouble with memory and confusion. Try not to engage in any important decision-making matters until you have fully recovered.
Mark Swaim MD, Ph.D., points out that recovering from the procedure can be disorienting, tiring, and stressful, but a strong support system will ease the process.
Mark Swaim MD PhD 