Dents

Please forgive that this question sounds superficial. It's not my intention but I'm under 30 years old and have been through a great deal of trauma. I just want to know what to expect going forward. I'm approaching 4 months post-craniotomy. Will I be seeing a dent in my forehead/temple area soon? There's nothing there right now but I'm trying to get ready for what is next. Thank you and god bless.

Hi Dee! It was 6 years ago that I had my craniotomy...No one even notices dents from the surgery...I have to show them to doctors, the girl who does my hair...no one even notes them. Hang in there, things do get better every day!

Thank you so much for responding. I didn't want to come across like I'm not thankful to still be here. I just keep coming across new issues that might emerge months or even years after the surgery. I don't know if I'm going to end up with a disfiguring dents or superficial dents that aren't noticed by others. Or maybe none? Is it possible to not have any dents? I guess it would be easier to put this surgery behind me if there aren't any overtly obvious physical signs of it. Thank you again and wishing you continued recovery!

I have a dent in my temple area. The doctors said it was from the muscle removal and unfortunately they will not grow back. Many people, including doctors, cannot notice it. Rarely people do and will ask me why it is there. I usually notice it in photos. When recovering from surgery my ear was at a forty degree angle because of my head swelling (which was my fear). When the swelling went down my ear went back to it's original spot, however, the dent became evident. If you feel strong angst in the matter it can be fixed by plastic surgeons. I grew my hair out to a two and a half inch length which covers it completely and now I don't even think about it!

Hi Dee,I don't think everyone has dents after having brain surgery but they are common. I had a ventriculostomy as well as an endoscopic intraventricular procedure last year to repair an aneurysm and I do have some minor dents from both of the procedures, nothing that anyone can see since my hair covers them all. I even had a friend of mine who is a massage therapist massage my head the other day and she said she was disappointed in my dents because she could hardly feel them :P She was hoping for something a little more denty i guess?

I started to notice my dents after a month or two of surgery but I have noticed that they are getting more shallow and a lot less noticable to the touch. If you do have dents it is my understanding that they will diminish after a few years.

I kind of look at them as my battle scars. I wear my dents proudly because i know that i survived some crazy things and I am still standing!!

Thank you guys. Interestingly, I have no idea where the AVM was. No clue :) It's reassuring that many of these dents sound superficial. I'd be totally fine with dents in my hair where nobody can see. I'm also more than willing to accept more obvious dents if it means being alive. It really should be the least of my problems but I'd rather be informed now. I'm 29 and I still haven't adjusted to what feels like the loss of my "youth". It only bothers me on certain days. I'm getting there :)