Sultan Özkan
Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Nursing, Turkey
Title: Character changes after major Brain Surgery
Biography
Biography: Sultan Özkan
Abstract
Imagine that you come face to face with death in a moment while your health is very good. After undergoing any kind of major surgery, you thinks "What happened to me, what do I do next?" Then ıt may occur many side effects; depression or agitation.
Brain surgery - or even receiving a diagnosis of brain disease - can change someone's personality, pretty much like any psychological trauma.
Brain surgery that most often result in depressed patients who are with high levels of anxiety caused by the surgery. Symptoms may start within three months of the surgery and cause significant problems in social or work situations and in relationships.
This time is normal and part of the recovery period. Nurses are mostly concerned with just the patient’s physical recovery, rather than their mental status.
A major surgery and its treatments can cause changes in a personality and ability to think. Patients may experience challenges with their communication, concentration, memory and emotional abilities. Most brain tumor patients exhibit signs that are consistent with depression and agitation, especially post surgery. Patients may feel self worthlessness. Many lose interest in their usual activities and they become socially isolated. Sometimes it is due to the prescribed medications.
We will discuss what may cause this situations, some of the symptoms of it, and what can be done to minimize the effects and help get rid of it altogether.
Nurses should struggle to educate patients on what happened to them and what it could mean for their future