Questions to Ask BEFORE Treatment

• What possible problems should I look for after brain surgery?
• What happens after I am discharged from the hospital after brain surgery?
• What type of operation do I need?
• What do you expect the surgery to achieve?
• Will the operation cure my brain aneurysm/AMV?
• Will I need any other procedure after surgery?
• How likely is it that the aneurysm/AVM will come back at some time in the future?
• What are the risks and benefits of this operation/procedure?
• What are the likely long-term effects of this operation?
• How can I best prepare myself for this operation?
• When I wake up will I be in intensive care?
• How long do you expect me to be unconscious after surgery?
• What are the possible complications of this type of operation/procedure?
• What will happen if I don’t have surgery?
• Is there any other type of treatment I could have?
• How long will it take me to get over this operation?
• How can I help myself recover?
• Who will speak to my family after the surgery?
• What kind of timeframe am I looking after for total recovery?
• Is complete recovery possible?

Questions to Ask AFTER Treatment

• What possible side effects should I look for after treatment?
• What are the signs of infection?
• What do I do about constipation?
• What kind of timeframe am I looking at for recovery?
• Is it possible to completely recover from treatment of a Brain aneurysm/AVM/Stroke?
• What activities am I allowed to do?
• What medications am I allowed to take?
• Am I permitted to drive?
• Can I drink alcohol?
• Can I have sex and when?
• Can I dye my hair?
• What other types of doctors do you recommend I see? Do I need to schedule an appointment with a Neurologist, Neurophysiologist, Neuropsychiatrist?
• How can I help myself recover?
• Who do I call if I have questions about how I am feeling?
• Will there be any follow-up after treatment?
• I am nervous about the hardware that will be used to treat my brain aneurysm; if I bump my head will the coils/clips come undone?
• What is DVT (deep vein thrombosis)? What are the symptoms?
• Am I allowed to leave the country?
• Can I fly in an airplane?
• Are there support groups available?

Please note: This list it is not meant to be all-inclusive, rather a guideline to get you to think about the things that you might want to discuss with your doctor. All cases are unique, so some of these questions may not apply to your case, and you may want to add some additional questions as well. You may want to talk with your doctor about what you need to do to designate a health care proxy – someone to make decisions for you when you’re put to sleep or otherwise make decisions for yourself. Also, be sure your file has emergency names and contact phone numbers.

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