Alchemist doctors remove brain tumor while keeping patient awake

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.