Go to nearest Emergency Department if:
- Your temperature rises above 38.5 °C or 101 °F and you feel chills.
- You have a severe headache that does not go away.
- Daylight causes intolerable pain in your eyes.
- Your neck becomes very stiff and sore, making it painful to bend your head forward.
- You are less alert.
- You have a nose bleed that will not stop.
- The amount of fluid from your nose doesn’t decrease after 1 week. This may be caused by a CSF leak.
- You are losing too much fluid from your body:
- You are unrinating (peeing) more than usual.
- You are getting up 3 to 4 times at night to urinate (pee).
- You often feel very thirsty.
- You feel very tired and have very low energy.
Please call your neurosurgeon or Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner [LINK to Contacts] to let us know that you have had these symptoms and have gone to the emergency department.
It usually takes about 2 to 6 weeks to recover from the surgery, but it can take up to 3 months for some people to feel like their normal self again. Everyone’s recovery time will be different.
If you use a CPAP machine for sleep apnea, please discuss this with your team. You may be asked to wait 2 weeks after the surgery before re-using your machine. Make sure your machine is clean before you start using it again.
It is important to keep your nose clean and moist while you heal. Use only a normal saline nasal spray to moisten inside your nostrils. Don’t put any creams, ointments or objects into your nose. You can buy saline nasal spray (like Salinex or Simply Saline) at your local drug store.
To clean your nostrils:
- Spray each nostril with the saline spray at least 5 times a day or more. Do this for at least 3 to 4 weeks. Using saline spray keeps hard crusts from forming in your nose. These hard crusts can slow your healing and block your breathing. Using saline spray will also reduce bad odours from your nose which sometimes can happen after this type of surgery.
- If you have on-going bad odours from your nose and a lot of congestion (stuffy nose) one month after surgery, continue to use your nasal spray and talk with your ENT or your neurosurgeon. Your smell may be affected for the first few weeks after surgery. This is normal and will be temporary.
Eating/eliminating
- Once you get home, you can eat and drink normally. Avoid alcohol for 2 days after your surgery.
Lifestyle
- You should be able to slowly return to your normal activities once you get home. Going for walks and doing light activities around the house is fine.
Showering
- You can shower, bathe and wash your hair as usual.
Heavy objects/lifting/exerting
For the first 6 weeks:
- Try not to lift anything heavier than 10 pounds (5 kilograms).
- Try not to bend forward or strain yourself.
Exercise
- Don’t go to the gym or do your regular exercises.
- Don’t play contact sports (soccer, football, hockey).
- Don’t swim or submerge your face in water. Talk to your doctor about when you can go swimming at your follow-up appointment.
Work
- Most patients are ready to return to work in 4 to 8 weeks. As you feel better, slowly return to your normal daily activities..
Driving
- You can travel by car once you feel ready. This may take a couple of days. Having surgery may make you feel more tired than usual, so only drive short distances at first.
- If you had vision problems before surgery, make sure your vision is checked before you drive. Follow up with your optometrist or ophthalmologist.
Traveling by plane
- If you plan to travel by airplane before your first post-operative clinic visit, please discuss this with your neurosurgeon first.
Go to nearest Emergency Department if:
- Your temperature rises above 38.5 °C or 101 °F and you feel chills.
- You have a severe headache that does not go away.
- Daylight causes intolerable pain in your eyes.
- Your neck becomes very stiff and sore, making it painful to bend your head forward.
- You are less alert.
- You have a nose bleed that will not stop.
- The amount of fluid from your nose doesn’t decrease after 1 week. This may be caused by a CSF leak.
- You are losing too much fluid from your body:
- You are urinating (peeing) more than usual.
- You are getting up 3 to 4 times at night to urinate (pee).
- You often feel very thirsty.
- You feel very tired and have very low energy.
Please call your neurosurgeon or Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner to let us know that you have had these symptoms and have gone to the emergency department.
If you have any questions, please call the
Pituitary Clinic at 416 603 5463.
