I too had brain surgery...in June 2007. I was not told that I would experience facial swelling.

My swelling was bad enough that even 10 days late is was rather significant. It is my understand from my family that I was pretty much unrecognizable immediately after the surgery.

I understand that this is an indication of invasion into the brain. My Principal Investigator had told me that he and the Trial Coordinator were not allowed to visit me until our first post-surgery trial evaluation. I did not ask at the time, but I can only assume that this is due to the telling factor of the facial swelling...that the brain had been invaded, hence the real surgery had taken place....not the sham surgery.

Or could the swelling be due to the frame that is placed on the head during brain surgery. Maybe a DBS patient can comment on this. I tried to search the Internet for the "post-surgical effect of stereotactic frame" and "brain surgery post-surgical facial swelling" and similar combination's and found nothing specific that spoke to any combination.

I do not have memory of my first 10 days post-surgery, none. So, I can speak to the recovery room as Peggy is able to do. I do know that my family was shocked, to say the least, at my appearance.