Home Care After Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Fluids

The day of and day after the procedure, drink extra fluids to flush the IV contrast from your system. Try to drink 1 to 2 quarts extra.

Diet

You can resume your normal diet after the procedure.

Swelling

You may have some puffiness around the eyes, starting about day 2 or 3 after treatment. This is normal and should go away by itself.

Starting the day after radiation, you can place cold cloths on your eyes to help reduce the swelling. Put the cloths on for about 20 minutes at a time, 3-4 times a day. Keep using the cold cloths for about 4 days.

Pain

You may have some pain, tenderness, or numbness around the pin sites for a few days to a few weeks. This is normal and should go away by itself.

Activity

You may feel a little tired for a day or two. You can be as active as you want.

Bathing

You should not wash your hair for at least 2-3 days after the treatment or until the pin sites have healed

Pin Site Care

Gently wash the pin site area twice a day. Apply a small amount of antibiotic ointment to the site. The pin sites may drain or even bleed a little tonight.

Signs of Infection

Check your pin sites twice a day for the next 3 days to watch for any signs of infection. These include:

• Increased swelling

• Redness

• Drainage

• Fever above 100° F
  

Bleeding

If you are taking blood thinners, you may have bleeding from a pin site. If this occurs, place clean gauze on the pin site and hold pressure. If you cannot get the bleeding to stop after 5-10 minutes of pressure, call the doctor on call, go to urgent care or seek medical help right away.