Return to Work

From the day of surgery until the initial post-op visit (around two weeks after surgery) you should not lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk, and avoid any activities that could increase brain pressure, like straining or bending over at the waist. After your staples/ stitches are out (roughly two weeks after surgery) you can liberalize your activities considerably. You can fly on a plane, you can do basically anything that you feel comfortable doing. You must use common sense and not overstrain yourself. You may find that you are still easily fatigued – this is normal. You may also find that your level of energy and other surgery related symptoms – dizzyness/ lightheadness, etc. wax and wane in severity. Some days may be better than others. This is also normal. For brain tumors, most patient feel able to return to work between six and twelve weeks after surgery.

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