Surgery
On the day of your operation, you will need to stop eating for several hours before surgery. Your nurse will go through some questions and prepare you for surgery. You will also meet your anaesthetist. They are in control of keeping you asleep during the operation by giving you an anaesthetic. If you have any questions about your operation, your nurses can arrange for a member of the surgical team to come and talk to you. You sign a consent form for the operation if you didn't do it at the pre assessment clinic. You might have a drip (intravenous infusion) put into your arm before your surgery so that you can have fluids through it.
Your nurse will go through a series of questions on a checklist to make sure you are ready for surgery. They ask you to:
tell them when you last had something to eat and drink
change into a hospital gown
put on a pair of anti embolism stockings - these help prevent blood clots
take off any jewellery - you may be able to keep a wedding ring on
remove contact lenses if you have them
wear a hospital identification band - this is normally on your wrist
If you have false teeth you can usually keep them in until you get to the anaesthetic room.
You might have tests done when you arrive at the hospital. Or you may have already had them done in the outpatient clinic.
Find out about the tests you might have before brain tumour surgery
5-ALA is also called 5-aminolevulinic acid or by its brand name Gliolan. It is a dye that makes some types of brain tumour cells glow under a fluorescent light. You might have it if you have a high grade (fast growing) glioma such as glioblastoma multiform (GBM).
5-ALA comes as a liquid that you drink a few hours before surgery. It goes into your bloodstream and is taken up by the brain cells.
During the operation, your surgeon uses a fluorescent light and a microscope to look at the tumour. Under the fluorescent light, the brain tumour cells glow pink or red, while the healthy brain cells are darker. This helps your surgeon see the edges of the tumour more clearly, which can help them remove as much of it as possible.
5-ALA can cause some side effects. These include:
low blood pressure
sensitivity of the eyes and skin to bright light
feeling sick
changes in some of your blood levels, for example,
Your nurses check your blood pressure regularly before and after your operation. They ask you to avoid sunlight and bright light for about 24 hours after surgery.
Not everyone needs to have their hair on their head shaved before surgery. It depends on where the tumour is and the type of operation you have.
If you do need to have your hair shaved, you might have part of your head shaved, or the whole head. This is usually done when you’re under anaesthetic in the operating room.
You won't need to have your head shaved if you are going to have an operation to remove a pituitary tumour through the nose.
For tumours in the brainstem or back part of the brain, your surgeon might only need to shave a small area at the back of your head.
It can be worrying to think that some or all of your hair may need to be shaved for your surgery.
Your specialist nurse or surgeon will explain what will happen, so you know what to expect. This can help you feel more prepared. You can talk to them if you have any questions or concerns about your surgery.
Read about the different types of brain tumour surgery
You have an anaesthetic so that you can’t feel anything during the operation. You have this in the anaesthetic room or the operating theatre.
All the doctors and nurses wear theatre gowns, hats and masks. This reduces your chance of getting an infection.
The anaesthetist puts a small tube into a vein in your arm (cannula). You have any fluids and medicines you need through the cannula including the general anaesthetic. This sends you into a deep sleep.
You might still have a general anaesthetic if you are going to have an awake craniotomy. If this is the case, you have a general anaesthetic at the start of the operation. The anaesthetic is then reduced so that you wake up for the main part.
You may have a tablet or an injection to help you relax. This is usually about an hour before your operation. Or in the anaesthetic room just before your surgery.
If you have this medicine on the ward, a nurse and a porter will take you to the theatre on a trolley. If you do not have it, you can usually walk to the theatre.
After the operation, you usually wake up in the recovery room, the intensive care unit (ICU) or the high dependency unit (HDU).
Your specialist nurse and surgeon will explain what will happen after your surgery. They will tell you how they will help control any pain. They will also explain if you have any tubes or drains and what they are for.
Last reviewed: 19 May 2026
Next review due: 19 May 2029
Surgeons remove all or part of your tumour. There are different ways of doing this.
You might have surgery to drain a build up of fluid on your brain (hydrocephalus).
You have an appointment at the pre assessment clinic 1 or 2 weeks before your operation. You have tests to check your fitness and you meet members of your treatment team.
You will have a few tubes in place when you wake up. You might be in the high dependency unit or intensive care unit.
It can be difficult to find out that you have a brain tumour. There is practical and emotional support available to help you, your family and your friends cope with a brain or spinal cord tumour.
Primary brain tumours are cancers that start in the brain. Tumours can start in any part of the brain or related structures.
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