Doctors perform awake brain surgery

[Ali Tariq]

The Newspaper's Staff Reporter | Updated May 14, 2019

Two surgeons, making arrangements for a surgery, are seen in this file photo. —AFP/File
ISLAMABAD: Doctors of Shifa International Hospital on Monday performed a surgery, removing a brain tumour from a 60-year-old patient who remained awake throughout the procedure.

The surgery, which was completed in almost two hours, was led by neurosurgeon Dr Akbar Ali Khan.

“Though this kind of surgery has been conducted at Aga Khan Hospital in Karachi, it was the first time a surgery of a similar nature was carried outside that hospital,” Dr Ali, who recently arrived from United Kingdom, told Dawn.

He said the patient had a tumour on the eloquent part of the brain due to which his leg could become paralysed during operation.

“So we decided to keep the patient awake because it reduces the chances of being paralysed,” he said.

Replying to a question, Dr Ali said that the patient was out of danger and would be discharged after 24 hours.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1482116/doctors-perform-awake-brain-surgery

 

[Peaceful Civilian]

This is very painful treatment. But as said he decided to keep the patient awake because it reduces the chances of being paralysed.

 

[Goenitz]

This is very painful treatment. But as said he decided to keep the patient awake because it reduces the chances of being paralysed.

there are pretty good inhibitor which reduces pain receptors..

 

[swnjo]

This is very painful treatment. But as said he decided to keep the patient awake because it reduces the chances of being paralysed.

It is not. recently seen one in my place. Only the superficial part, skin-fascia is painful. brain tissue itself is not.One can use good local anaesthesia with sedate-awake-sedate techniques to perform such cases. Mosto of the time done to not accidently affect the part of brain involved in some higher fuction activity like speech, memory or motor activity.

 

[PurAzamBaHadaf]

This is very painful treatment. But as said he decided to keep the patient awake because it reduces the chances of being paralysed.

Had the opportunity to talk to patients who undergo such operations and the MDT who conduct such operations at UCLH and Great Ormond Street and the general consensus was that it hurts less than it hurts when you get a graze after falling down. So it isn't painful - at least here. I'm not sure what the conditions in Pak are like.

 

[fisher1]

This is how shitty the country is that a normal procedure like this makes news.