Senator Edward Kennedy has experienced no complications following surgery and plans to go home within a week, according to a statement released by his family.

During his week at Duke Medical Center, surgeons will be monitoring for typical complications that can occur after brain surgery, including:

*seizures, which may result from irritation of the brain during surgery
*swelling of the brain
*post-surgery infections, like pneumonia

Dr. Victor Perry, a neurosurgeon at UNC Health Care, said medications are typically given as a preventive measure against complications. The most important thing is for patients to get enough rest during their recovery.

"Surgery can take its toll on the body," he said. "We want them to be up and around, but not to get overtired. They need to get their appetite back and strength back because they need it for upcoming treatment."

Perry says patients typically start with a course of radiation therapy as soon as a week or two following the procedure. Chemotherapy may be given during or after radiation.

Byron McDonald, 42, underwent six weeks of intensive radiation and chemotherapy as treatment for an inoperable glioblastome multiforme, the most aggressive type of brain tumor, in 2006. Like Senator Kennedy, he is a patient of Dr. Allan Friedman at Duke. The Sarasota, Florida resident was back in Durham this week for a checkup with Dr. Friedman after an MRI had suggested a possible recurrence of his cancer. He was happy to get good news.

"That one sentence is what we came to hear," he said. "No evidence of tumor recurrence."

McDonald, who is partially paralyzed on his right side from the radiation treatment's toll on his brain, continues a monthly course of the chemotherapy drug Temodar to prevent tumor growth. He also has struggled with recurring seizures.

"It has been very successful for me, now I usually do have a seizure during that five days, but it's a mild seizure," he said. "And they've been growing farther and farther in between."

Dr. Perry, of UNC, says seizures following brain surgery are not common, but most patients stay on anti-seizure medication indefinitely. Despite his limitations, McDonald believes there's reason to be optimistic.

"If you have a brain tumor, do some research, find out if it's operable and if it is, don't worry about it," he said. "It's not that big of a deal today. Tomorrow, it might be even less of a deal."


Full Coverage: Sen. Kennedy Undergoes Surgery At Duke