Has anyone ever had brain surgery?

Meningioma brain surgery?

• I was just wondering if anyone had brain surgery that was a success? A relative had this kind of brain tumor-and it swelled to the size of tangerine. During surgery, he went into a stroke and then a coma. Unfortunately, never recovered.

• Answer:

  Surgical intervention for brain tumours is among the most difficult surgery. There is about a 10 % mortality rate in the first 48 hours. Another 20 to 30% of the patients go on to have significant post operative disability, sometimes serious, sometimes only annoying. That leaves about half of the patients without problems, living, and well. Compare that to the humble appendectomy, where the post operative mortality rate is about 1 in 10.000... Neurosurgery is a depressing specialty for the surgeon, as well. He has to live with that death rate and morbidity rate. When there are good results, everyone is happy; when bad, everyone is unhappy. The only solace can be found in the knowledge that untreated brain tumours are almost always fatal within about two years of diagnosis.