Brain surgery done while patient was awake

The first-ever open brain surgery with the patient wide awake in the Gulf region was successfully conducted on a 38-year-old Indian patient at the ity SKMC last month.

The surgery included removal of a tumour from the patient’s brain located near the cells responsible for vocalisation and speech. A multi-disciplinary team of more than 20 medical personnel worked on the patient to ensure a successful operation.

According to a statement issued by the hospital on Monday, the patient (name withheld on request), who was brought to the Emergency Department in an unconscious state, had suffered several epileptic fits, post-critical transient aphasia (language impairment) and hemiparesis (muscle weakness on one side of the body).

A CT (computed tomography) scan and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the brain showed a left frontal cortico-subcortical tumour, which 
was in the brain area responsible for 
the speech. Next....