Brain Tumour Surgery
دماغ کی رسولی کا آپریشنBrain tumour surgery removes or reduces an abnormal growth inside the skull so that pressure on the brain is relieved. This operation, called a craniotomy, is performed by Dr. Salman Falak, a consultant neurosurgeon trained at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore. Its aim is to protect brain function and give the family a clear diagnosis and a plan for what comes next.
What brain tumour surgery is and who needs it
A brain tumour is a growth of abnormal cells inside the skull. Some tumours start in the brain itself or in its coverings, and some spread there from a cancer elsewhere in the body. Some are benign and grow slowly, others are aggressive. What they share is the problem of space. The skull cannot stretch, so a growing tumour presses on the brain and causes headaches, fits, weakness on one side, vomiting, trouble with speech, or a change in vision or personality.
Surgery is considered when a tumour is causing pressure or symptoms, or when it is growing on repeat scans. It is also considered when the team needs tissue to know exactly what the tumour is. The operation can have more than one goal at once. The first is to take the tumour out, or as much of it as can be removed safely. The second is to relieve the pressure so the brain has room again. The third is to get a piece of tissue for a firm diagnosis, because the biopsy report guides everything that follows.
How Dr. Salman Falak performs a craniotomy
A craniotomy means opening a small window in the skull bone to reach the tumour and then fixing the bone back at the end. It is done under general anaesthesia, so the patient is asleep throughout. Hair is shaved only along the line of the cut, and the cut is planned on the MRI so that it sits as close to the tumour as possible.
Dr. Salman Falak works with an operating microscope, which gives a bright, magnified view of the tumour and of the normal brain around it. Neuro-navigation, a system that matches the MRI to the patient's head like a map, can guide the approach and show how much tumour remains. The tumour is removed piece by piece, as much as can be taken without harming the tissue that controls movement, speech, sight or memory. The bone is fixed back in place, the skin is closed, and the patient wakes up in the intensive care unit, or ICU, for close watching.
Most patients spend the first night, sometimes longer, in the ICU and then move to the ward. The stay in hospital is usually a few days to a week. It depends on how quickly the patient recovers and on the type of tumour. Sometimes the next step of treatment is planned before discharge, and that can add to the stay.
What surgery can achieve, and what it cannot
When a tumour is benign and sits in a reachable place, removing it can be the whole treatment. Pressure symptoms such as headache and vomiting often ease quickly once the tumour is out. Weakness or speech trouble caused by pressure may improve over weeks, though recovery depends on how long the brain was under pressure and which part was affected.
Some tumours grow into the brain tissue and cannot be removed completely without causing harm. In those cases the surgeon removes what is safe and the biopsy report guides the next step. That may be radiotherapy or chemotherapy under an oncologist, or it may be regular scans to watch for regrowth. Dr. Salman Falak explains before the operation what the likely goal is, so the family knows whether the aim is to cure the tumour or to control it and relieve symptoms. Honest expectations matter more than promises.
When surgery is advised, and when it is not the first step
Surgery is usually advised when the tumour is causing symptoms, when it is growing, when it is blocking the flow of brain fluid, or when its type cannot be known without tissue. It is also advised when removal is likely to change the outcome.
Surgery is not always the first step. Very small tumours found by chance, with no symptoms, are often watched with repeat MRI. Some deep-seated or very sensitive tumours are treated with radiation or medicine first. A patient who is too unwell for a long anaesthetic may be better served by a biopsy alone or by medical treatment. Brain swelling is sometimes controlled with steroids before any decision about an operation. Where a tumour has spread from a cancer elsewhere, the oncologist and the neurosurgeon decide together whether removing it will help. Send your MRI on WhatsApp and Dr. Salman Falak will tell you whether surgery is the right next step.
Tests and preparation before the operation
An MRI of the brain with contrast is the main test. It shows the size and position of the tumour, how close it is to important areas, and whether there is swelling around it. A CT scan may be added to look at the bone or to check for bleeding. Blood tests, an ECG and, for older patients or those with heart or breathing problems, an anaesthesia review are done before the date is fixed. Some patients also need a vision test or hormone tests if the tumour sits near the nerves of sight or near the pituitary gland.
Bring every previous scan and report, the MRI films or CD, and a list of current medicines to the consultation. Tell the doctor about every regular tablet, especially blood thinners, and about diabetes or high blood pressure. Patients travelling from Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot or further away can send their reports on WhatsApp first, so that the visit to Lahore is used for the examination and the decision, not for repeating tests already done.
Recovery and follow-up after brain tumour surgery
The first day or two are spent in the ICU so that the level of consciousness, the strength in the arms and legs, the blood pressure and the wound can all be watched closely. Pain is usually controlled with ordinary painkillers, and most patients say the headache after surgery is milder than they feared. Walking starts early, often the day after. Stitches or clips come out at a follow-up visit around the second week. Tiredness is normal for some weeks. A gradual return to light work is usual, while heavy lifting and driving wait until the surgeon says so.
The biopsy report takes some days. At the follow-up visit Dr. Salman Falak goes through it with the family and explains whether more treatment is needed and who will give it. Patients from other cities do not need to travel for every check. Once the wound has been seen, later reviews can be done by video consultation, with the new MRI sent on WhatsApp before the call.
Where the surgery is done
Dr. Salman Falak sees patients in Lahore at Sharif Medical City Hospital in Jati Umra on Raiwind Road, at Life Hospital in Bahria Town and at Doctor Care Hospital in Al Kabir Town. The operation itself is done in Lahore, and the choice of hospital is discussed with the family at the consultation, along with the expected stay.
Patients from Gujranwala and nearby districts can be seen first at Gujranwala Medical Complex on G.T. Road, where he holds an OPD on Friday, and patients from the Phool Nagar side on Tuesday. A video consultation is the quickest way to start. Send the MRI and speak to the doctor, then travel to Lahore once, with a plan already made. See the guide for patients coming from other cities for what to bring and how long to plan for.
Risks, and how they are kept low
Brain surgery carries real risks and a good surgeon does not hide them. They include bleeding, infection, fits, swelling, leakage of brain fluid, new or worse weakness, speech or vision problems, and the risks of anaesthesia itself. How likely they are depends on the size and position of the tumour and on the patient's general health. A small tumour near the surface is a very different operation from a large one deep in the brain.
Risks are reduced by careful planning on the MRI, by the microscope and navigation, by stopping when further removal would cost function, by close ICU monitoring in the first hours, and by antibiotics and early walking. Dr. Salman Falak goes through the specific risks for your case before consent is signed, in plain words, and the family is welcome to ask anything twice.
Related conditions and procedures
Read about brain tumours, their symptoms and how they are diagnosed if you are still at the stage of understanding the scan. Tumours of the pituitary gland, at the base of the brain, are usually reached through the nose instead of through the skull; see endoscopic pituitary tumour surgery. The full list of cranial operations is on the brain surgery page.
Related procedures
Conditions this treats
Where it is done
Operations are performed in Lahore. Consultations are held in Lahore, at Gujranwala Medical Complex on Fridays and in Phool Nagar on Tuesdays, or by video for patients travelling from further away.
Questions patients ask
Which hospital is best for brain tumours in Pakistan?
There is no single answer, and any website that names itself as the best should be read with care. What matters is the surgeon's training, MS or FCPS in neurosurgery with regular tumour work, and a hospital with an ICU and a dependable pathology lab. An oncologist should be available for the treatment that may follow. Dr. Salman Falak trained in neurosurgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore, and will explain which hospital suits your case and why.
How much does brain tumour surgery cost?
The fee depends on the hospital, the length of the ICU and ward stay, the equipment used and the tests needed, so no honest figure can be given on a website. Dr. Salman Falak explains the expected cost at the consultation once the MRI has been seen. Ask for the breakdown in writing so the family can plan.
Is brain tumour surgery successful?
It depends on what the tumour is and where it is. Benign tumours in reachable places are often removed completely and do not return. Tumours that grow into the brain may be reduced but not cured by surgery alone, and further treatment follows. Dr. Salman Falak will not quote a success rate; he will tell you what is realistic for your scan.
Is a brain tumour fully curable?
Some are, and some are not. A slow-growing benign tumour that is fully removed may never trouble the patient again. Aggressive tumours are controlled instead of cured, with surgery followed by radiotherapy or medicine, and follow-up scans continue for years. The biopsy report is what tells the family which kind they are facing.
We live in Faisalabad. Can we send the MRI before travelling to Lahore?
Yes, and it is the best way to start. Send clear photos of the MRI films or the report on WhatsApp, or book a video consultation. Dr. Salman Falak will tell you whether surgery looks necessary and which tests to get done locally before you come, so that the family makes one planned trip instead of several.
How long will we need to stay in Lahore for the operation?
Plan for the admission itself, usually a few days to a week, plus a short period afterwards until the wound is checked. After that, review can be done by video with the scan sent ahead. The exact plan is given at the consultation, because it depends on the tumour and on how the patient recovers.
Send your MRI. Get a clear answer before you travel.
WhatsApp your reports and your city, and you will be told whether surgery is likely, which tests to bring, and which OPD is nearest to you.