CRANIOTOMY

A craniotomy is the most common type of
surgery to remove a brain tumor. “Crani” means
skull and “otomy” means cutting into. The
procedure typically involves shaving a portion
of the head, making an incision in the scalp,
then using specialized high-speed medical tools
to remove a portion of the skull. This enables
the neurosurgeon to find the tumor and remove
as much as possible. After the tumor is
removed, the portion of skull that was cut out
is replaced, and the scalp is stitched closed.
Remember – all of this is done with drugs that
relax you or put you to sleep. They also numb
the scalp and other tissues. The brain itself does
not “feel” pain, so brain surgery can be done
with you awake if the surgeon believes it
necessary to minimize the risk of the procedure.