Rehabilitation from meningioma

This chapter discusses the complex process of acute rehabilitation of patients after meningioma. Acute inpatient rehabilitation after meningioma utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to provide comprehensive rehabilitation through a team of physical, occupational, and speech therapists, nurses, doctors, recreational therapists, neuropsychologists, case managers and social workers, all of whom specialize in providing rehabilitation care. The prognosis of rehabilitation outcomes in this population is similar to that of the stroke population, and patients benefit from rehabilitation to maximize function in the setting of ongoing treatment. Common functional deficits include speech, cognitive, motor, and visual deficits. Medical complications include heterotopic ossification, venous thromboembolism, bowel and bladder complications, and pain. Patients must also be managed for behavioral complications such as agitation and maintenance of the sleep-wake cycle. The wide variety of functional outcomes following meningioma diagnosis and treatment necessitates a flexible rehabilitation course including testing for deficits, monitoring of outcomes, and ongoing therapy support.