Brain surgery is very common in today’s medical advances, and Meningioma Surgery is amongst those regularly performed.
Meningioma is a kind of tumor, which is usually benign. Benign means that the tumour is non-cancerous, or not hazardous to the rest of the organs, or to the system.
However, it is important to know the real severity of the tumor, to establish whether meningioma surgery is necessary, because if the tumor is found to be malignant, it can be very dangerous, and can easily spread. Eighty percent of those which are treated fully recover. Meningioma grows from the meninges, also known as the external coverings of the spine and brain. One out of five brain tumors are Meningiomas.
Meningiomas are usually slow-growing, and only around ten percent grow from the spine. Most of these come from the insides of the brain, which is usually from the cerebral sphere. Those which are at the base of the brain are usually the ones which are hard to reach during meningioma surgery, and would need special effort to extract, without disturbing other parts of the brain.
Meningioma surgery could correct a wide range of symptoms
People ranging from 40 to 70 years old, usually are the ones found to have Meningioma. It occurs more in women than in men. Meningioma may grow from different parts of the brain, and even simultaneously. Depending on where the tumor grows from, that is where the activity is mostly affected. Symptoms would include vomiting, headaches, visual problems and changes in behavior.
A frontal lobe tumor may trigger mood swings and hemiparesis [ the inability to move one side of the body]. There may be difficulty in speech if the left side of the brain is affected.
Body coordination and memory may be affected if the tumor grew from the temporal lobe. After meningioma surgery, these problems could be corrected, but ask your surgeon whether your condition could be made worse by meningioma surgery.
The parietal lobe is responsible for writing and other motor skills. If this part where the tumor grew from, there will be difficulty in performing such activities.
Establishing whether one needs meningioma surgery
Prior to a Meningioma Surgery, there are a series of tests that should be done. Any of the following could be used solely or collectively, depending on the doctor’s need for examination. There is the Computerized Tomography or CT scan, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan, Angiogram and Biopsy.
There are different ways to treat Meningioma, and one of the ways to get rid of it is through Meningioma Surgery. Usually, it does not incur any complications during or after the surgery.
However on rare occasions, if you already underwent surgery, there are recurrences that may occur, if the whole of the tumor is not taken out completely.
Depending on the location of the tumor, Meningioma Surgery may not be possible. There are options that will be made available to you, if this is not the best option.
If you think you are feeling symptoms of Meningioma, always consult your doctor. Always remember that prevention of meningioma surgery is better than cure.