Awake brain surgery also known as Awake craniotomy is a process in which the patient is awake during the surgery. It allows surgeons to remove brain tumors without affecting functions like sensation, movement, and speech. What type of surgeon performs a craniotomy? Continue reading to know more about the awake craniotomy procedure.
The patient was kept awake during the surgical procedure in an awake craniotomy. In ancient times, awake craniotomy was performed to remove morbid conditions and treat seizures. Recently, surgeons prefer awake craniotomy for most of the issues and to remove metastases and brain cancers.
In 1886, Sir Victor Horsley performed awake craniotomy. Brain surgeons in North America has been using this procedure since the 1980s followed by Europe and across Asia. In the 1920s, the modern phase of awake craniotomy started by Wilder Penfield. He cured the patients facing intractable epilepsy. Later, Archer followed this procedure for brain tumors in 1988. Nowadays, it is commonly used to map vital brain areas.
There are a lot of benefits of awake brain surgery. Some of the advantages are given below.
Who performs awake craniotomy? It is performed by a neurosurgeon who works with a neurologist and an anesthesiologist. Other people present in the surgical room include an oncologist, speech therapists, neuropsychologists, and rehabilitation experts. Before a few days of surgery, blood tests, chest X-rays, physical exams and more must be undergone by the patient for safety. The physician will ask you not to drink or eat to avoid vomiting under sedation before surgery.
The awake craniotomy procedure takes place around 4 to 6 hours depending on the patient’s condition. Firstly, appropriate anesthesia is given to the patient. Few surgeons prefer that patients should be awake during the tumor removal stage and others want them to be awake throughout the entire process.
A three-pin skull clamp is fixed to the table once the patient is highly sedated. Later, local anesthesia will be applied to place a pin on the patient’s head. Pillows and other comfort measures are provided for patients to ensure their comfort. After setting the position, his/her hair is clipped or removed to perform the awake craniotomy procedure.
Is awake surgery safe? A few of the challenges of awake craniotomy are specified below.
You must consult the best surgeon before doing the awake brain surgery. A good surgeon informs you about the vital process of awake craniotomy that led to your better health and safety.
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