MYSURU: Doctors of Vikram Jeev Hospital in the city claim to have performed a brain tumour surgery on a 29-year-old patient while he was awake.
Hospital authorities said this is the first such procedure performed in the city after the advanced method was introduced to the world about six to seven years ago.
Dr Maqsood Ahmed A R, chief neurosurgeon at the hospital, said the awake brain surgery procedure requires a lot of skill, technical expertise and patience. “If this operation was done the normal way, we would not be sure if the patient could talk, use his hand or be paralysed,” he said.
Dr Ahmed said the patient, who runs a fancy store at Devaraja Market, had been complaining of headaches and seizures for the past nine months. An MRI scan was advised. It showed a tumour on the left side of his brain. The left side of brain controls the right side of the body and language skills, in particular, and so is the most important, the doctor explained.
Dr Ahmed said after a series of diagnostic medical tests it was decided to remove the tumour using the awake craniotomy technique with brain mapping.
The Procedure
The patient was sedated while the surgeon opened the skull to expose the brain. Once the brain was exposed, the tumourous areas were mapped using stimulation, and the areas that control speech and movement were labelled.
After a while, the patient was brought out of sedation, and was asked to interact with the doctor performing the procedure.
The doctor even asked the patient to perform simple acts like moving his hand to ensure that the motor and speech functions were intact. The patient did not experience any pain throughout the surgery. The tumour was removed without damaging any critical areas, Dr Ahmed said.