Hello. I am post two brain aneurysm surgeries, 1998 and 1999 respectively. I want you to know that after all this time, I still have dents and indentations on the sides of my forehead and the top of my head. In one area of my scalp on the top of my head, i have no sensation to touch. You see, as you heal, your skull does a little shifting around. I have found that even after all this time, every now and then I get a strange dent, so apparently it’s still shifting around. I find this fascinating, and I kind of compare myself to a glacier going through global warming, always shifting and changing! But really, try to remember it takes a lot of time to heal, sometimes years. My jaw on the right side can only open so wide from where my jaw muscles were cut during my first surgery. I don;t mind my dents anymore- i’m just happy to be here, or anywhere for that matter.
Hi, I have a dent on my right temple and a strange indention above that. My aneurysm was clipped 2017. Blessing to be alive. But, the dent seems to be getting worse and in the past 6 months I experience pain more of an ache especially when it’s wet and rainy outside so the weather affects it. I even get swelling when it’s real bad right below the dent in my jaw area. Does anyone else experience this ache? Is this something I’ll just have to live with?
@MelB this post is about ten years old. If you don’t get any replies, try starting a new topic.
All the best,
Moltroub
Hey MelB,
I have a few ‘dents’ (8 at last count) from a craniotomy and a shunt etc and I too get affected by the weather. When I mentioned this to the neuro’s they looked at me as id I’d been consuming hallucinogens, even had one tell me ‘Well, that just can’t be happening…’ but it was. I was questioning myself.
But over the years, by speaking to others, I’ve found that weather symptoms are in fact rather common. I’ve found I can almost predict the weather better than a barometer. I don’t get any swelling as such, but when a storm is approaching I get this weird headache and my scalp gets these odd sensations, a bit like the sensation of ‘someone walking over my grave’ as they say, but only over my scalp, not up my spine like the normal ‘someone walking over my grave’, just my scalp. Odd
As for the dents, mine ache even many years later, but I do not believe they are getting any bigger, it’s more that my hair line is receding REAL fast, so I see them more. I’m in Australia and many years ago here we had a TV advertisement for a type of toothbrush. The advert went ‘You could get a ‘flip top’ head to reach those back teeth or use our brand of toothbrush’ I never bought the toothbrush 'cos I’ve got that “Flip Top” head 
Merl from the Modsupport Team
I was wondering about the dent too
Me to same problem with about a small quarter of a indentation . It actually hurts your right. I had the plate removed so I feel more of the bones etc. I actually have seen people with the dent and ask did they have brain surgery . Yes every time. 
now with so many new things no more dents, they are filled in.
I’m told to go see a plastic surgeon every time I complain to my Neuro surgeon. Like you it been many years.
I was at dentist telling them I have a smaller mouth on one side because of cutting the jaw muscle. I can’t open my mouth to eat a hot dog. Nice to know I’m not alone.
I have to go in November to hospital I have a canverous sinus Annie that has grown very fast after 14 years. This is new procedure. Not many of them out there. our dents are our I had brain surgery from a Annie and I am still here.
Yes I have noticed the dent is getting bigger and it hurts more. You can’t even touch that area… as I get older I notice you see more of it. To fix it is a plastic surgery.
Maybe it’s worth It could pull our hair back and see a nice forehead.
Just like having arthritis’s you feel the weather.
It’s great my screws started to move towards my eye so it was removed after a few years . That’ alone helps. Good luck.
Hi, I was also wondering about my dent around my left temple from an aneurysm clipping through craniotomy in August 2020. I am fortunate my hair hides it when I want to, but it is certainly becoming bigger, especially the ridge slightly now altering my eyebrow shape.
Don’t get me wrong I have no problem having this, it is part of my life story. However do you know if this dent and ridging settles or will it continue to reshape?
My neurosurgeon mentioned I would get this so I was forewarned. I don’t want more surgery to hide it as I am kind of proud of it.
No additional pain felt at this point with weather changes
Debbie
Welcome Debbie1, glad to see you respond, hope someone will answer who has had a craniotomy, give them time.
Welcome Debbie1
I too have the same issue. Mine has become more prominent as well. I apologize as I don’t have an answer for you, but wanted you to know you are not alone. I was not forwarned of this. Some days it seems more noticeable as over the years I have developed a visible line coming from my right temple. I see it in photos which is kind of weird. I hope you find an answer. This is a great group here, and has helped me tremendously! Blessings and Good Health going forward.
Hello Debbie1, I had my first clipping in 2008 & am currently in hospital recovering from second on my right side. My scar went from being about 1/2 inch wide to over a inch , my hair would not grow over it . I ran into a low hanging eve of a house in 2014 hit my head hard enough to see stars 
, after that it seemed to get bigger but nobody but me seemed concerned about it. I was like , I had a river up there , now it was a pond… but I’m so fortunate to be sitting upright talking, texting, eating on my own, able to walk unassisted after this my 2nd brain aneurysm clipping so very thankful… the only thing I can recommend is head wraps or I occasionally used that spray or makeup on my scar to help take away from its appearance. I’m going to speak to my surgeon this morning I will ask about this to nurses and others on this floor of this hospital is dedicated to neurosurgery at ucsf in San Francisco.
Thank you so much for your response. I guess at some point when I next visit my GP I could ask or maybe even email my neurosurgeon out of curiosity. I guess we will all see different things but I find myself continually looking at the differences left to right of my temple and the skull just above it. I think we probably notice it more than others as we know it’s there!
Debbie
Be great if you can find anything out! My neurosurgeon said to me that I may get a droopy hollowed out area at my left temple and If so I could opt for surgery to fix it, no doubt by inserting a plate under the skin to give shape back to this area…no thanks! So, I don’t know whether it will continue to change forever or it stops after 3 or 4 or 5 or 10 years…or never does!
Thanks for responding!
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
I had a craniotomy in Nov 2006. I had surgery in Nov 2009 to fix my dent, plus I was having scar tissue building up at my left temple. I used a plastic surgeon & she grafted good fat instead of using an implant. She was able to go through my scar & she tightened it up. It was a personal choice, but I felt better after that surgery.
Hello Debbie1, I too have a scar and a bulge, a “dented halo”, from my craniotomies when I was 19. Fortunately, for most of my adult life my hair covered the scar and most of the bulge although you can see the bulge in some photos. Thankfully, due to my successful surgeries and good healthcare, I have lived to be a Medicare card carrier. 
This was not anticipated when I had my surgeries.
In addition to my “dented halo”, I have hair loss issues that many women experience as we age. So for the last few years, I have used hair wraps, caps and wigs when I go out. While I really would like to be able to cover my dented halo without these, it is a very small price to pay for my otherwise good health.
I hope that you will find an option that works well for you.
So great that you have a solution that works for you. That sounds great.
I don’t think I will have additional surgery…unless it really gets severe!
Hello, I also have the dent. I have them on each side of my forhead due to 3 craniotomies on o e side a.d 2 on the other. They bothered me at first but I wear them proudly. We have survived something tham most do not. They are my badges of honor. I hope you can get to the point that you can feel the same way. You are a warrior and should be very proud of yourself. Hugs
In 1982 I had a craniotomy for a 25mm basilar artery aneurysm. I then developed an infected bone flap, and now have a plastic plate of about 4 inch diameter. I was left with dents, bumps and scares all over the right side of my head. In the subsequent 40 years I have gone bald and my head looks like the surface of the moon.
It is easier to just put up with it than try to hide it.