A Brain
tumor was removed successfully while keeping the patient awake throughout the
surgery by a team of doctors of Alchemist Hospital headed by Dr Manish
Budhiraja Consultant,Neuro Surgery, Alchemist Hospital Panchkula & Dr
Prasant Maskara Consultant, Ojas Hospital, Panchkula
A 28-year-old student, resident of Solan was admitted in Alchemist Hospital with the
complaint of recurrent seizures. MRI was done which revealed tumor in the Brain in
right perisylvian and insular cortex. During the surgery, the patient was fully
awake and recited GAYATRI MANTRA, to give the doctors feedback to locate the
exact location of the target to be lesioned.
In
another case 34 years male presented in hospital with a single episode of
seizure. MRI revealed tumor in the right parietal cortex, which controls the
left side upper & lower limb movement. To prevent injury to vital structure
awake craniotomy was done. The patient did mathematical calculations
verbally and on a calculator to check fine movements of hands.
"The
advantage of this surgery is that on instruction from the surgeon, the patient
would be able to lift his hands and make facial movements that correspond to
the area of surgery and talk during surgery," said Dr Manish Budhiraja,
Neurosurgeon with Alchemist Hospital, Panchkula. "In this case, it helped
the surgeon to avoid causing injury to vital areas of the brain controlling
speech & facial movement.”
He said this
procedure was adopted because they had to monitor the patient's motor activities
during the surgery to prevent postoperative deficits. "The tumour involved
some functionally important areas of the brain,".
The whole
procedure was done with light sedation and local anaesthesia.
A craniotomy is a
surgical procedure to access the brain, in which a part of the skull is removed
and refixed at the end of surgery. Most of these procedures are done under
General Anaesthesia said Dr Prasant Maskara.
Awake
Craniotomy is a surgical technique that enables surgeons to avoid injury to
critical regions of the brain during surgery and is helpful in cases where
cortical mapping or continuous monitoring of neurological functions are
expected to improve outcomes.