Panchkula
16 February 2022
DIVYA AZAD
In an exemplary medical performance, a team of doctors at Alchemist Hospital, Panchkula, successfully removed brain tumors while keeping the patient awake throughout the surgery. The team was headed by Dr Manish Budhiraja, Consultant, Neuro Surgery; and Dr Prasant Maskara Consultant, Ojas Hospital, Panchkula.
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 is expected to improve outcomes.
“The surgeries done on awake patients have great benefits as 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, Neuro surgeon, Alchemist Hospital, Panchkula.
“A 28 year old student, resident of Solan was admitted in Alchemist Hospital with the complaint of recurrent seizures. However, medical tests revealed tumor in brain and during the surgery, the patient was fully awake and recited ‘Gayatrimantra’ to give the doctors feedback to locate the exact location of the target to be lesioned”, the doctors said, while revealing the details of the surgeries.
In another case 34 year old man visited the hospital with single episode of seizure. “MRI revealed tumor in right parietal cortex, which controls the left side upper and lower limb movement. To prevent injury to vital structure, an awake craniotomy was done. In this case, the patient did mathematical calculation verbally and on calculator to check fine movements of hands”, the doctors further said.
“In these cases, the awake surgeries helped the surgeon to avoid causing injury to vital areas of the brain controlling speech and facial movement”, Dr Manish further said, adding that the whole procedure was done with light sedation and local anaesthesia.
“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”, Dr Prasant Maskara said while detailing about the surgical procedure.
