Occipital nerve decompression surgery is specifically designed to treat the pain that stems from occipital neuralgia. The main reasons behind this issue are injury, swelling, or even pressure to the occipital nerves and you will see some particular signs like extreme headaches, neck pain, scalp pains, & vision impairment. So, if you are suffering from this medical condition and are planning to undergo this surgery, you must know a few important things regarding occipital nerve decompression surgery near me and understand everything before you finally take the decision.
Before the Surgery:
1. Consultation and Diagnosis
After you decide to have the surgery, you need to find the right doctor who can treat you for this condition. He will take all the important details during the consultation like your previous medical history, do a general body check-up, and advise some tests especially a complete blood test with an MRI or a CT Scan, whichever is required at the moment.
2. Pre-Surgery Preparation
The pre-surgery preparation involves:
- Medications: It is also advisable not to be on blood thinners or some other medication and your doctor may recommend that you stop taking some of these many days before the surgery.
- Fasting: You may be advised not to eat and/or drink anything close to the operation (usually before midnight before the surgery.).
- Arrangements: Any surgeon will tell you that it is not safe to operate vehicles on the road right after the operation so it is advisable to have made arrangements on how to get home.
Lastly, it will allow you to speak with your surgeon to get all your questions answered satisfactorily before you can embark on this decompression surgery procedure.
During the Surgery:
1. Anesthesia
Occipital nerve decompression surgery is done under general anesthesia which therefore means that you will be asleep during the procedure. However, local anesthesia in combination with some extent of sedation may be used in some situations, more so where the surgery to be undertaken is complex, or where the patient has some health issue.
2. The Procedure
The surgery generally takes one to two hours on average. In the next step, the surgeon performs surgeries on the back of your scalp to reach the occipital nerves. Their main objective therefore is to help release pressure on the nerves through surgery and remove any structure that exerts pressure either through muscle, tissue, or bone. And, to achieve its objectives, it is necessary to free up the nerve from other structures.
After the Surgery:
1. Immediate Post-Surgery
Finally, you will be transferred to another room and doctors will monitor your behavior once you wake up from the anesthetic. You may experience some relative discomfort or inflammation and slight skin reactions at the site of the surgery that require a surgical incision, but arrangements for sufficient pain management will have been made before your surgery.
2. Hospital Stay
Following a one-day occipital nerve decompression procedure, the patient may be released from the hospital. Importantly, though, if the patient has other issues, it will be best for them to remain under supervision at the hospital and be released the following day.
3. Recovery at Home
The initial recovery period lasts a few days to a week, during which you should take complete rest, get the wound care done, and take the medications at the right time.
4. Follow-Up Visits
Your surgeon will then set you up for a number of review appointments so that he or she can evaluate the pace of your healing as well as the success of the operation. As pointed out earlier, pain or any issues may arise during treatment and during these visits, you can talk to the doctor.
Long-Term Results
1. Pain Relief
The following is a gist of what most patients and doctors associated with occipital neuralgia have to say after undergoing surgery. Still, it’s different for every person. Some people may see positive changes as soon as a week is over whereas others may only observe the changes after a few weeks of practice.
2. Possible Side Effects
Periods are sensitive areas that involve a number of blood vessels and nerves; thus, like any surgery, dangers, or risks include infection, bleeding, or damage to these parts. Still, these complications are very rare in occipital nerve decompression surgery. Your surgeon will discuss these risks with you beforehand.
3. Ongoing Management
Sometimes, other kinds of treatments may be required to preserve health and recovery as a long-term result, such as physical therapy or change of life. Visits that you should make to your doctors will be a way through which you will make sure that the surgery has been fruitful as well as address any problems that may be present.
Wrapping Up
Occipital nerve decompression surgery is clearly a ray of light for people experiencing chronic occipital neuralgia. If done right, the approach to chronic pain requires appropriate expectations and willingness to embrace recovery and several patients can be set free from severely disabling pain. So, all this information will help you prepare for the process before, during, and after the surgery if you are a candidate for this procedure. To be more clear with all this information, you can consult the experts at Migraine Surgery Speciality Center and clear all your doubts.
