Learn about Pseudotumor Cerebri Treatment in India — how it works, who it is for, recovery timelines, and what to expect before and after surgery. Compare hospitals and doctors experienced in Pseudotumor Cerebri and request assistance for cost estimates or appointments.

About Pseudotumor Cerebri

Pseudotumor cerebri, also known as idiopathic intracranial hypertension, is a condition characterized by increased pressure around the brain without an identifiable cause, such as a tumor. Neurosurgical intervention becomes necessary when medical management fails to control debilitating symptoms like severe headaches, vision loss, or papilledema. The primary neurosurgical procedure is an optic nerve sheath fenestration (ONSF), where small slits are made in the protective sheath surrounding the optic nerve to allow excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to drain, relieving pressure. In more severe or refractory cases, a CSF diversion procedure like a lumboperitoneal or ventriculoperitoneal shunt may be performed to create a permanent drainage pathway. These surgeries aim to prevent permanent vision damage and alleviate chronic symptoms.

Key Highlights

    Primary goal is to prevent permanent vision loss and blindness.Effectively relieves severe, debilitating headaches associated with high intracranial pressure.Can halt or reverse the swelling of the optic nerve (papilledema).Offers a solution when medications like acetazolamide are ineffective or not tolerated.Procedures like ONSF are often minimally invasive with a relatively focused surgical site.

Who is this surgery for?

  • Failure of maximum tolerated medical therapy (e.g., acetazolamide, topiramate) to control symptoms.
  • Progressive or severe vision loss or visual field defects threatening permanent blindness.
  • Significant, persistent papilledema (optic nerve swelling) despite medical treatment.
  • Intolerable side effects from long-term medication use.
  • Severe, chronic headaches that significantly impair quality of life and are unresponsive to other treatments.

How to prepare

  • Comprehensive pre-operative evaluation including detailed ophthalmologic exams (visual acuity, visual fields, fundoscopy).
  • Neuroimaging (MRI or CT) to rule out other causes of intracranial pressure and for surgical planning.
  • A diagnostic lumbar puncture to confirm elevated opening pressure.
  • Complete blood work and pre-anesthesia assessment to ensure fitness for surgery.
  • Discussion with the neurosurgeon about the specific procedure (ONSF vs. shunt), risks, benefits, and expected outcomes.
  • Discontinuation of certain medications (like blood thinners) as advised by the medical team.
  • Fasting as instructed prior to the surgery.

Risks & possible complications

  • Infection at the surgical site or, with shunts, along the tubing path.
  • Bleeding during or after the procedure.
  • Damage to the optic nerve or surrounding structures, potentially worsening vision.
  • For shunt procedures: malfunction, blockage, over-drainage (causing low-pressure headaches), or under-drainage.
  • Shunt infection or the need for future shunt revisions.
  • CSF leak from the surgical site.
  • Anesthesia-related risks.
  • Recurrence of symptoms if the procedure is not fully successful.

Recovery & hospital stay

  • Initial hospital stay for monitoring neurological status and vision.
  • Management of post-operative pain with prescribed medications.
  • Keeping the incision site clean and dry to prevent infection.
  • Follow-up appointments with both the neurosurgeon and ophthalmologist are critical.
  • Gradual return to normal activities, avoiding heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for the recommended period.
  • For shunt patients: monitoring for signs of malfunction (recurring headaches, nausea, vision changes) or infection (fever, redness along shunt path).
  • Regular visual field tests to assess improvement or stability of vision.
  • Long-term management may still involve some medication or lifestyle modifications (like weight management).
  • checked Typical hospital stay: 2-5 days
  • checked Expected recovery time: 4-6 weeks for initial recovery; full stabilization may take several months

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are considering pseudotumor cerebri in India, these questions and answers can help you make a confident, informed decision.

Procedure cost in other countries

Here is an overview of how the estimated cost, hospital stay, and recovery time for pseudotumor cerebri compare across other countries where we have data.

Country Estimated cost range Typical stay Recovery time View details
India USD 1,632 – USD 5,438 2-5 days ~ 4-6 weeks for initial recovery; full stabilization may take several months Know More
Turkey USD 12,079 – USD 40,263 2-5 days ~ 4-6 weeks for initial recovery; full stabilization may take several months Know More

Top hospitals for Pseudotumor Cerebri in India

These partner hospitals in India have dedicated neurosurgery teams and experience managing patients undergoing pseudotumor cerebri.

Cytecare Hospital

  • IconBangalore, India
  • Icon48 Doctors

Manipal Hospital Siliguri

  • IconSiliguri, India
  • Icon30 Doctors

Manipal Hospital Salt Lake

  • IconKolkata, India
  • Icon129 Doctors

Manipal Hospital Bhubaneswar

  • IconBhubaneshwar, India
  • Icon55 Doctors

Manipal Hospital Dhakuria

  • IconKolkata, India
  • Icon200 Doctors

Miot Hospital Chennai

  • IconChennai, India
  • Icon250 Doctors

Manipal Hospital Ghaziabad

  • IconGhaziabad, India
  • Icon43 Doctors

SIMS Hospital Vadapalani

  • IconChennai, India
  • Icon71 Doctors

Manipal Hospital Mukundapur

  • IconKolkata, India
  • Icon145 Doctors

Medanta The Medicity

  • IconGurgaon, India
  • Icon900 Doctors

Nanavati Max Hospital

  • IconMumbai, India
  • Icon187 Doctors

Kamineni Hospital LB Nagar

  • IconHyderabad, India
  • Icon67 Doctors
PATIENT REVIEW

At my age, you worry about...

At my age, you worry about being a bother. Dr. Narayanamurthy never made me feel that way. He explained my medication changes slowly, and his manner was very calming. The clinic at MGM was busy, but he took his time.

Neurosurgeons for Pseudotumor Cerebri

Explore experienced neurosurgeons who regularly perform pseudotumor cerebri and provide pre- and post-operative care in India.

Dr. Karanjit Singh Narang
  • 23 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Medanta Hospital Gurgaon

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Himanshu Arora
  • 23 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

Metro Hospital Faridabad

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Rahul Kumar
  • 21 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

Metro Hospital Faridabad

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Anirban Deep Banerjee
  • 18 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Medanta Hospital Gurgaon

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Rishabh Kedia
  • 13 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Medanta Hospital Gurgaon

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Tanmay Trivedi
  • 11 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Medanta Hospital Gurgaon

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Sohet Gogia
  • 10 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Medanta Hospital Gurgaon

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Aditya Singhal
  • 9 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Medanta Hospital Gurgaon

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Arul Muthukumaraswamy
  • 9 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Tamil, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Miot Hospital Chennai

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Atul Vajpeyi
  • 21 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Manipal Hospital Salt Lake

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Laxminarayan Tripathy
  • 31 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Manipal Hospital EM Bypass

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Dr. Sunandan Basu
  • 26 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Manipal Hospital EM Bypass

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Tejasvi Singh Randhawa
  • 10 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Manipal Hospital Dwarka

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Peeyush Tomar
  • 9 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Manipal Hospital Dwarka

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Harsh Jain
  • 15 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Manipal Hospital EM Bypass

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Anurag Saxena
  • 23 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Manipal Hospital Dwarka

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Audumbar Netalkar
  • 41 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi, Marathi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Manipal Hospital Goa

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Amit Dhakoji
  • 17 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Manipal Hospital Baner

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Dr. Shrey Kumar Shah
  • 6 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Manipal Hospital Baner

OPD-desk synced • Updated
Dr. Omkar Narayan Churi
  • 15 Years Experience
  • Neurosurgeon
Speaks: English, Hindi
Next available on
02/Feb: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM

MediFyr Plus Manipal Hospital Goa

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