"Anybody who's required a lengthy intensive care stay or undergone significant neurological injuries, studies tell us people don't report feeling as well as they used to for 15 to 18 months," he said.
Rosser went on to give a detailed briefing of what Malala could expect from the surgery, planned for some time within the next two weeks.
He said doctors also have to remove a piece of Malala's skull that they had surgically inserted into her abdomen -- a common procedure intended to keep the skull fragment from getting infected. Eventually, however, surgeons opted for a titanium plate to cover the hole.
A cochlear implant is also being implanted and will be turned on in about a month's time. Rosser said it should eventually restore her full hearing.
