Retrosigmoid: Pain immediately out of surgery???

[TT]

I asked my doctor about any related pain immediately following this type of surgery. He new I had a couple of sinus surgeries in the past; his reply was this surgery would be less painful. At the time I was emotionally numb, so I failed to respond that those surgeries were discomforting; however, painless. I have a hard time comphrehending that this procedure will result in little pain. A responce from a Retro Vet would be nice...I think.
Terry

[HeadCase2]

Terry,
  I had retrosigmoid.  I didn't have any pain, but that doesn't mean that it didn't kick my butt.  For the first 24 hours in NICU they were giving me morphine.  I was fairly doppy, so nothing hurt.  The biggest problem was vestibular relearning, after the vestibular nerve was cut on the AN side (as expected) during surgery.  Vestibular relearning and lots of naps are what I remember most from recovery.   I also had dry eye, no blinking, and no smile on the AN side, but these all resolved over the next 4 to 6 weeks.
  I can understand why pain would concern you.  But you'll probably find that other issues occupy your time during recovery.  Headaches are a possibility, but certainly not a given.
Best of luck to you,
 Rob

[Mtn Gal]

Hi Terry,
While in the hospital I took the pain shots in my IV just so my head would not hurt.  You know it helps to keep the pain at a minimum and not let it get too bad before you ask for something; usually the nurses asked me if I was ready for more pain meds.  I cannot recall any significant pain.  The area behind the ear is very sore for a few days and it's hard to find a comfortable way to lay your head.  The first two days I slept alot, but the remaining three days in the hospital I was mostly awake visiting with family and friends and catching a nap when I felt tired.  My biggest problem was nausea; couldn't keep juices or anything down for three days.  Then the second most irritating thing was getting my fingers stuck to do a blood glucose test.  Apparently the steroids made my blood sugar high (I am not diabetic) and then they gave me insulin shots.  By the time I left there I felt like a pincushion and I believe my fingers hurt worse than my head.

Good luck to you.

Mtn Gal

[amymeri]

I was so out of it the first day that I don't remember pain.  I took Dialudid which totally erased my pain.  Most of my pain was in my neck, not my head.  I would say that I pretty much felt like crap for the week after surgery (mine lasted 13+ hours) but not because of pain...I slept most of the time.

Amy

[amymeri]

I guess I should add that my neurosurgery vet friends who have had other surgeries felt that the brain surgery was less painful than other types.

[Battyp]

I had no pain from my An surgery except for neck pain from the position of my neck for 9 hours.  I also have bulging disc in my neck which I'm sure didn't help anything.  I was only given ibuprofen (500mg) for any discomfort.  The biggest problem was not being able to lay on that side of my head due to nausea/dizziness and discomfort. 

The finger sticks are more painful than the brain surgery...I was type 2 diabetic before and the decadron really makes your blood sugars go haywire regardless if you're diabetic or not.

I think I got most of my discomfort from laying on the same side all the time!  Tell your wife you're going to need lots of back rubs! 

[Jim Scott]

TT:

I had retrosigmoid AN surgery on June 7th....just six weeks from this posting.  I'm doing fine.  Back to my normal routine and with few negative after-effects from the operation. 

Overall, my experience was very similar to that of 'Mtn Gal'.  While in the hospital I had some mild pain medication (via IV), steroids (pills, not shots) and seemingly endless blood glucose tests as well as insulin shots to manage my blood sugar...and I am not diabetic, either!  It all ended within 5 days, when I was released.

As others have warned, you'll be very tired for some time - post-op - and may have balance issues, etc., but in my experience, pain was not an issue.  Discomfort was.   It passes. 


Jim

[TT]

Thanks to everyone that responded to my question; each day I feel a little better as BS day slowly aprroaches. The information and support from the great people involved in this forum is overwhelming. I think I'll now concentrate on other issues such as the Cards opening up a series in L.A. tonight. Beware Dodger fans; remember what happened when the Dodgers recently visited St. Louis? 
Terry

[LK]

I had no pain folllowing retrosigmoid surgery in 1992 at NYU (Cohen and Ransonhoff)

Of course,there was some discomfort behind my left ear where the incision was made. I spent the night in ICU attempting to urinate once the catheter had been removed. That is what I most remember following surgery.In addition, I had no headaches, balance problems, etc. However , I did lose my hearing but I have been able to make the necessary adjustments. Ask my students!!!!!

My gall bladder surgery was much more painful !