How long will my child need to stay in the hospital after brain surgery?

If your child has a brain tumor, also called a neoplasm, he or she has an abnormal growth of cells with the brain. After your child has been treated, the recovery process will depend on your child's situation and on what treatment he or she had. The recovery process is different for each patient.

Children who received prompt diagnosis and treatment do well after surgery. Your child may experience some temporary neurological deficits, such as muscle weakness. In most cases, this goes away shortly after surgery, unless there was substantial permanent damage before your child was diagnosed. Physical therapy will help improve strength, function and speed of recovery.

Your child will probably be able to go home shortly after surgery, requiring only pain medications while the surgical site heals. You will be encouraged to have your child assume regular daily activities, like school, social events and play. Physical activities should be encouraged as tolerated. Other specific treatment recommendations made by your child's neurosurgeon should be followed carefully.

Regular post-operative follow-up visits with your child's neurosurgeon are also important. This allows the neurological function, tumor recurrence and side effects from chemo-radiation therapy to be monitored carefully.