Craniotomy Side Effects and Warnings

Possible Complications

If you are planning to have a craniotomy, your doctor will review a list of possible complications which may include:

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Brain swelling
• Damage to your brain which may cause:

• Changes in memory, behavior, thinking, or speech
• Vision problems
• Problems with balance
• Bowel and bladder problems
• Seizures
• Paralysis or weakness
• Reaction to anesthesia (eg, light-headedness, low blood pressure, wheezing)
• Heart attack
• Blood clots

Call Your Doctor

After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

• Any changes in physical ability (balance, strength, or movement)
• Any changes in mental status (level of consciousness, memory, thinking, or responsiveness)
• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, a lot of bleeding, or any discharge from the cut
• Headache that does not go away
• Stiff neck
• Changes in vision (like double, blurred, or vision loss)
• Fainting or seizures
• Numbness, tingling, or weakness in your face, arms, or legs
• Signs of infection, including fever and chills
• Nausea and/or vomiting that you can't control with the medicines you were given after surgery or which continue for more than two days after leaving the hospital
• Pain that you can't control with the medicines you've been given
• Difficulty breathing
• Cough , shortness of breath, or chest pain
• Trouble controlling your bladder and/or bowels
• Swelling, tenderness, hotness, or redness anywhere in your legs

In case of an emergency, CALL 911.