HI, I am 3 years postop. Yes have dents and scarring...i just got used to it. My surgeon told me i could do more surgery to fix it but I opted out. As for the barometric pressure headaches...my husband calls me a human barometer.
I has two craniotomies
One was four months ago and one was three weeks ago
I was given jaw exercises by a pt at my discharge to slowly do but only do them to the point of NO pain
Slowly getting better and I was told the no pin no gain is wrong do slowly or it could make it worse I can try to take a pic of the exercises and send later I also have a rather deep indentation from the first and was told that staples not closely put in will cause the dent to be deeper and from the jaw muscle being cut
I had 30 with spaces inbetwwe on my first one and 42 much closer togerhee for the 2nd one which is still swollen scabbed and healing but suspect may not be as deep
I had my boneflaps put back in and also have denta in other areas of the incision line
Hi cait, I had the same surgery 3 weeks after you with the same symptoms now. The dent - my surgeon used an implant. Apparently the muscle withers away over time hence the increasing debt. The jaw I was told not to let it become ongoing - went to a specific dentist/ jaw specialist and am having a type of guard made to wear at night to relax that affected muscle - they say it is helpful. Warm packs also help. Iām not sure if itās the kind of thing you leave alone in hopes it gets better Altho some remarks here say it does which is good to hear! It is nice to know people out there have been through this same ordeal - it is soo monumental. You seem to be doing so well and hope it continues! I have dizzy sensations - lack of sharpness mentally - do you or anyone else out there have similar? Iām hoping they improve over time
Cait,
Don't be worried about the dent, you'll probably always have it. I was 25 when I had my clipping surgery 23 years ago, and my dent was very pronounced for the first few years. That area still aches in the cold or before an oncoming storm, and I still have the dent, of course.
In a year or two you'll notice it less and less, try not to be too nervous about it while changes during healing.
Melissa
I am almost 4 months post......i do have the dent also BUT i also have swelling from just under my temple . I had been coiled 6 yrs ago same anny......but then it grew and was bleeding so they had to clip...Does any one else have swelling by the temple ??? Its weard i was told after initial check after surgery i didnt need to come back for 5 yrs i said what ??? i never was told to come back for 3 month check up.....my dr.s were from jefferson in phila....but they also had a office at a hospital closer. the first surgeon i had...left the practice.....so the new dr. they gave me was young i was nervous i said how long have you been with jefferson he said about a year...i said oh....how many clippings have you done...he said alot...but dont worry there are 2 surgeons scrubbed in operating room...now that surgeon left practice ughhhh not feeling good about this......i also get dizzy and deff. lack of short term memory....
Hi Caitlin, I had my surgery for a subarachnoid aneurysm in 2004, and I have the dent on my right temple. I am still self-conscious about it to a point. The dent should stop indenting soon. I also have pain on the brain everytime rain or stormy weather comes and goes. I get migraines from the weather pressures even if it doesn't storm. But I have to take the pain as no meds have helped. When I lived in Connecticut I was on medical Marijuana which did help but moved to Florida where it's not legal,yet. But get used to that pain and don't worry about the dent. It's the mark of a survivor. Always remember you are blessed to have lived, many haven't.
Hello I had my surgery done on 9/2011 almost 5 years and yes I have that dent that everyone is talking about. I do suffer from bad pain along that temple and also it affects my right eye. I have sharp pains in that eye and all different types of weather affects it, atleast that's what it seems like. But I try and take ibuprofen for it or Tylenol, but for me its a never ending battle. I also suffer from trigeminal neuralgia on the left side of my face. My surgeon said that I would get headaches but I didn't think it was going to be this bad. Does anyone that had the clipping done, does it feel tender sometimes where they put the clip? I wish everyone the best of luck and god bless you all.
Thank you all so much for your responses. It truly helps so much knowing that people are experiencing and have experienced the same things. Just like anything else, I am keeping in mind that time heals all.
One more thing I wanted to ask was what the follow up scans were recommended. My surgeon told me there was no need for any scans until 3-5 years after the clipping where I will have an angiogram. This worries me as I see some people posting that they get yearly MRAs and an angiogram every 2 years. My aneurysm was unruptured so I would like to hear how others have followed up as time goes on.
Thank you all again!
Firstā¦Happy to hear you survived!
I am a 15yr survivor of aneurysm and small stroke. I had a failed coiling 1st, which caused my stroke. Then craniotomy a month later. I have about a 4 inch long dent which causes pain and discomfort at times. Iāve suffered migraines before all this started, so am used to the headaches. I am a bit self conscious about the dent, but as someone else stated, itās just a reminder of how truly blessed we are to be alive. I wish you continued healing. Oh the jaw discomfort will get better. It took awhile before I was able to fully open my mouth, and the clicking noise eventually went away. Stay Encouraged! God Bless You
I had a clipping nearly 5 years go. I, too, have a dent which is more noticeable to me during weather changes. Others never seem to notice the dent especially since my hair covers part of it. I had jaw pain as they needed to cut my left jaw muscle. I could not open my mouth
to eat a burger, within three months everything was basically back to normal. Good luck with your recovery.
Iām about 1.5 years post clipping. I have no idea where my craniotomy ādentā is but I absolutely have the dent on my temple from temporalis muscle wasting. I thought it wouldnāt happen. There is a guy in Ohio who does prosthetic implants in the area. Outpatient. Iāve also heard about having your own fat injected into the site but it could move and its temporary. I personally hate the dent as its on my āgood side.ā
My jaw pain subsided after I started using my night guard from the dentist. I was told because of bad tmj, that my doc wasnāt going to cut the temporalis muscle and when I complained about jaw and dent he looked at me like I was nuts. Today my jaw feels just fine.
My dr has never followed up past 3 mos mark and I doubt his office will call to schedule follow up imaging. I will probably schedule something at 3 year mark.
My only issues today aside from dent (Iām 44)ā¦ Episodic memory loss and aphasia but that could be middle age! I get a lot of tenderness over eyebrow and it feels lumpy but thatās probably related to my craniotomy site. Fatigue has finally gone away in the last 1-2 mos. itās amazing how the fatigue and fog drags on! Lastly, some vision weakening on same side but Iām pretty sure thatās from wearing my hair over my eye to hide the precious dent. That needs to stop.
How great that you are doing so well after 6 months!!!! Weather related pain is very common, but it will subside over time. I am 4 years post surgery. I do not have this type of pain anymore....but I sure did!!!!
I have dents in my head too, they'll always be there, but they've filled in a bit. My surgeon also told me that mine were bad post op. I am not that concerned about them anymore. I am proud of my survivor scars!
As for jaw pain, I experienced that too. I would not eat anything crunchy for about a year. Then, I tried chewing gum, VERY carefully. Working those muscles timidly at first. 4 years later, I can eat carrots, apples, anything. I agree with the other survivors. You are on the perfect road to recovery.
I think my dent is close to the same almost 6 years post op. At times I swell in my face on the side of my surgery. It seems more noticeable when I am overly tired or not feeling well.
I also could not fully open my mouth, like I could before surgery. The pain is better, but if I try to open my mouth very big, it is still quite uncomfortable. So glad you are alive and with few ill effects! God bless you fellow survivor!
Hi, Cait390! Happy Half-Year Anni-versary!
Like you, I had an unruptured aneurysm clipped, and I have a temporal deficit (dent) plus an assortment of surgical hardware that protrudes from under the skin located above that eyebrow (and two other locations that protrude through my scalp even more profoundly, but thankfully those are covered by my hair).
My surgery was 6+ years ago. Not a day goes by that I do not have pain at the exact site of the "screws" that protrude above my eyebrow (and although I attempt to conceal the dent with the way I style my hair, I am very aware of it. It shows up in photos when my hair isn't doing a good job of concealing it. When I pull my hair back with a headband to wash my face, you can really see how misshapen my head is in that quadrant). Yes, my screw pain does worsen considerably with weather changes, but frankly it's problematic every day.
Recently, I won a consultation with a plastic surgeon at a charity auction. He does not do this hardware removal procedure a few others posted about, but he advised me to tell my neurosurgeon that I want all that hardware taken out. I told him I have tried, repeatedly, but my neurosurgeon--who is one of the very best and has done thousands of clippings--dismisses my complaint, saying every surgery has its own risks and, of course, recovery. The plastic surgeon said, "Tell him IT HURTS!" I would really like to have my hardware removed. I take Tramadol daily and I find it lessens the "screw pain" somewhat, but it's still always present. I would describe it as feeling someone is boring into my head with their finger (actually, something more than a finger! I wonder if my body somehow recalls the drilling).
I had persistent jaw pain and restricted opening ability, and shortly after my surgery I was fortunate to work with a physical therapist who specializes in jaw pain patients. He works on muscles both on the surface of the face as well as jaw muscles inside the mouth, using a gloved hand. He has a tool (sort of like the plastic protractor we used in high school geometry) that measures how far you can open your jaw, and he records the progress session-by-session. He also gives several DIY PT exercises for home rehab. One is called the pry-bar stretch.
If you PM me, I will give you his contact info. You can gauge the open-jaw progress you make by bending your fingers at the knuckles and testing how many finger widths you can fit in your open mouth. At first I could only fit one finger, then with months of work, two, and I think I actually got up to three at the end. I just tested myself while I was typing this reply to you, and now I can only do two fingers, so I am going to make another series of PT appointments with him. I have also benefitted from acupuncture for my jaw pain and range of motion, and a portable TENS unit from the jaw PT.
I am exceptionally thankful that my aneurysm surgery went so well overall. I am the third person in my family to have had brain aneurysms. The first person did not survive. The second person had two aneurysms rupture, but she had a great surgeon and she had a successful result, although she went through an extended rocky recovery period. Of the three, I had the "best" experience. I have not asked to be tested for other deficits, but I know my short-term memory is not nearly what it was pre-surgery. I have found ways that help with this, and I use of lots of apps on my iPhone to remind me of things, so when they slip away a few minutes later, I can often retrace my thoughts.
Bless you for posting, Cait. You'll find loads of support here and lots of good advice. I'll pray for a complete healing for you!
I read your post and just wanted to thank you for all of the detailed information about your journey. It helped me with my post surgery issues. God Bless!!!
That's what my girlfriend says to me! Or what's the weather today. Funny thing is that I use the headaches to help with fishing, as it lets me know when a front is coming! But it can be downright painful most of the time.
louise said:
HI, I am 3 years postop. Yes have dents and scarring...i just got used to it. My surgeon told me i could do more surgery to fix it but I opted out. As for the barometric pressure headaches...my husband calls me a human barometer.
It has been 4 years since my surgery and my temple has sank quiet a bit also. The bad thing is I am finding all this from every one elseās comments on here. So glad to have this to read and learn what is happening to me others are experiencing it also. I only have ct done every year to make sure my aneursym has not gotten larger. So thankful God is taking care of me. Praying for you all.
Mine was unruptured also and they want me to have a ct yearly to make sure itās not changed. I also had Bellās palsy on the same side of aneursym so that makes it looks worse I think.
Cait390 said:
Thank you all so much for your responses. It truly helps so much knowing that people are experiencing and have experienced the same things. Just like anything else, I am keeping in mind that time heals all.
One more thing I wanted to ask was what the follow up scans were recommended. My surgeon told me there was no need for any scans until 3-5 years after the clipping where I will have an angiogram. This worries me as I see some people posting that they get yearly MRAs and an angiogram every 2 years. My aneurysm was unruptured so I would like to hear how others have followed up as time goes on.
Thank you all again!
Hi Cait - mine was 20 years next month and they used shavings to mix with something to make plugs when they put me back together. I have a dent in my temple too. I can feel some of the plugs. When I get stressed, I notice the dent more and some of the plugs are more pronounced. I just look at that part as my badge for living since I would have died without it. Now the jaw pain, I would look into that (you might want to look into relaxation exercises, meditation, etc. I bet you are still stressed in recovering. It is going to take you awhile - relax and let it happen). Enjoy life!
Glad to hear you are doing well! I am 5 yrs post op. I had jaw pain, couldnāt open my mouth and didnāt know why. I also have a dent ( thatās is what we call it. I was told the dent is muscle atrophy( this is because they cut the jaw muscle and it didnāt reattach itself ) that is the dent and the pain. My surgeon also told me it was the biggest one he has seen. I chewed gum to help with the jaw pain ( it did help, giving it a work out) as far as the dent I have learned to live with it( itās the reason we are still here!!). I had gone to a plastic surgeon and he told me he couldnāt do any filler cause of the gap in my skull bone. There are times I am still self conscious of it, so o part my hair to the side and move on. I hope this helped you a little and I wish you all the best