Brain swelling, surgery was done...survival rate?

Question

Long story short: My friend was in a HORRIBLE car accident and ended up in ICU. He went into emergency surgery where they had to open his skull to releave pressure on the brain. He is responsive, talking and seems normal (which i see as good signs). How is the survival rate on this procedure?

This accident happend last night, and his 3 year old son was in the car as well. His son is in a coma and on a breathing machine. The doctor says his son might have brain damage, is this true? How possible is it he will be brain damaged for life?

I would appreciate all RESPECTFUL answers because I'm very upset over this. I need real answers, I am concerned and want to understand what is going on. ALSO, please keep these two in your thoughts and prayers because they need it! Thanks in advance =)

Answer 1

i work in trauma icu and see these types of things on a daily basis

each person is different when it comes to recovery time and how normal they will be afterwards.

for your friend-his outlook seems very promising in the fact that he is already talking and responsive after having such an intensive surgery. the bone flap (the section of the skull they removed) can be replaced once the brain swelling has gone down. whether or not he sustained permanent brain damage will not be evident until later on as he progresses with his recovery. the best person to talk to in this situation would be the neurosurgeon who is following his case-BUT keep in mind that due to HIPPA privacy laws-you might have to get your info from his closest family members b/c the dr will not want to release his info to you.

as for the little boy-only time will tell in this case. usually within 24-48 hours a test will be done to determine whether or not a person is "brain dead" which means their brain has no activity going on so the person's body is not being told what to do and only the machines are keeping them alive.

if this test is done and the boy shows signs of brain activity then all they can do is treat his injuries and do everything possible to make him better and wait to see if and when he will come out of the coma. he is probably being kept sedated and in a medical coma on purpsose right now until the doctors can determine how badly he was injured and what exactly those injuries are. over time they will slowly start taking him off of the medications that are being used to sedate him to see if he will wake up on his own. once he is off all sedation medications-then they can accurately determine whether or not he has permanent brain damage and how severe based off of how he recovers and acts (how he responds to being stimulated,talked to,etc)

i know these things are hard to hear but this is the info you need to accurately understand what is going on. when patients are injured this severely, it's basically a waiting game to see if they'll pull through or not.

i will pray for your friend and his son-this is a scary time for them and everyone else involved. just ask his family to help keep you informed of what is going on. if you are able to go into the little boys room-make sure to talk to him as if he can hear you (even though he cannot respond), sometimes the best medicine is encouragment and love-and if he can hear what you are saying to him-it will give him the strength he needs to fight back!! play music in his room that he likes,post pictures of family/favorite pets,etc.

good luck to you and your friend sweetie

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Usually most people survive from having the procedure done and do well after wards. If they didn't do the surgery he would have died and now he has pretty good chances of living. A boy that lives by me was shot and had part of his skull removed to accommodate the swelling of his brain and he has now recovered well.

It is possible that the little boy could have brain damage, but they can't tell until he becomes alert. Have they done a brain scan yet? There's always a possibility of brain damage when you have a traumatic injury and there is no way that they can tell until the person becomes alert and they are able to look over any injury if any damage was obtained.

Answer 4

The survival rate for your friend are 100% times better than having not had the surgery at all. He would have died without it.

For the little boy it is very serious too with him in a coma and on a breathing machine. The doctor's have not said he has little or no brain activity, right? At this point it is too early to tell what the prognosis is for him.
It will most likely depend on how well he does in the next 24-48 hours. Keep in mind that doctors are constantly surprised how the human body responds to different situations and they have been wrong many times when they give a patient's prognosis.

I hope all goes well for them both...

Answer 5

To tell the truth, the only person who can give you an accurate feeling for how much damage is done is the doctor who saw him.

For your friend: If all they did was cut open his skull to releive the pressure, it means he had some major bleeding problems and swelling. He'll probably be okay now that they releived the pressure. He may have some minor brain damage, but I highly doubt he'll die from it. Again, only a doc can tell you for sure.

For his son: If his son is on a breathing machine and hes in a coma, hes seriously hurt. If he's on a breathing machine, he's probably not doing so well. If he comes out of the coma anytime soon, he should recover, but if he doesn't then I wouldn't have too high of hopes.

I hope your friend and his son heal and hang on. Good Luck to them and you, and hang tight. Be sure to ask a doctor if you really are worried. There is very little someone on here can do for you.

Answer 6

I am so sorry to hear about this. I can offer support but really only time will tell, and I'm no doctor.

I do know that the brain is very sensitive to pressure. The long term prognosis who knows...based on how permanent a measure they took and how likely it is that it will keep working, then there are things like emotional state, and if there are any other injuries, chances of infection, sensitivities to and side effects of medication, etc.

Children, fortunately are very resilient and rubbery in these kinds of situations. They often bend instead of breaking and they have remarkable will to live. You can bet that whatever happens with this little guy is the best case scenario...including if he doesn't make it. If he is brain damaged he will be too young to remember what it was like to be fully functioning, so he will just grow up to deal with the damage. It sounds callus to say these things, I don't mean it to be...but this little boy is in good Hands (note the capital H)and all will be well with him no matter what.

As for you, the thing you need to remember at this time is to take care of yourself. It sounds like you want to be supportive of this family and it will be a long haul. So you need to set some boundaries around yourself about how much you can do...and always do for yourself before anyone else. Honestly, this is the only way you can be useful to someone else...so get your sleep, take some time away from the hospital, try to get in a good laugh every day, eat healthy, talk to someone if you need to. Then you can be available for your friend.

I can keep you and your friend in my prayers. I hear a lot of sad stories every day on the internet and I do think about them a lot afterward. So many hurting people!

Answer 7

Since they are both young they have a better chance. What your friend had sounds like a craniotomy. They are a shorter surgery than you would think. About 2 hours, is what it took for my father. Will he survive? yes. brain damage..possible.

My father had the same thing happen to him the beginning of this month. He is 84 mind you. He "waxes and wanes" is what they call it. One day he knows me the next day he is in another world all together.

More than likely they will have to relearn everything. My father was on a respirator also. It is really hard to say since it happened not too long ago. Visit often, bring in a CD player for the child with some children's songs on CDs. Sometimes, too much stimuli upsets them, you have to watch to see what kind of response you get.

The brain doesn't forgive easily. I will never be able to have a real conversation with my dad again. He is alive, but not mentally there. If your friend is talking and cognisant already, then he should be out of the woods. I will say a prayer for him and his son.

God bless them and make them well. Take them into your arms and heal the wounds. Help them to overcome the pain and the tears. Send your love into their hearts and souls, God please take care of this father and son.

Answer 8

I'm really sorry to hear about your friend and his son.
Your friend: has an excellent chance of survival with no long term effects, based on the fact that he is awake, responsive, talking and seeming normal.
His son: the doctor is right, he may have brain damage, but as the doctor probably told you, it will be hard to assess this until he wakes up. His brain could be in shock with some swelling, which may be causing the coma, and when these subside he may wake up and return to normal. Babies and toddlers are very tough and resilient things.
I'm not a doctor, but I do have a bit of medical training and basic knowledge. The best person to talk with is their doctors. They will be doing lots of tests round the clock and they will be able to keep you up to date with their conditions.
I wish you, your friend and his son all the best luck, and remember to take care of yourself. You need to look after yourself so you can help them. They will pull through and everything will be fine. Best wishes.

Answer 9

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Brain swelling, surgery was done...survival rate?
Long story short: My friend was in a HORRIBLE car accident and ended up in ICU. He went into emergency surgery where they had to open his skull to releave pressure on the brain. He is responsive, talking and seems normal (which i see as good signs). How is the survival rate on this procedure?...

Answer 10

I am so very sorry.
As to the condition of the two--only his doctors can answer that. The young one--brain damage is brain damage. I do not think that the brain comes back--BUT--it is not for me to say. The adult male--sounds good--so far.
If you believe in the power of prayer--anything is possible. I will pray for both. God bless you all.