Awake craniotomy successfully performed at Little Clinic
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, October 26 2024: For the first time in the state, private hospital Little Clinic successfully removed a brain tumour from a 58-year-old man using the awake craniotomy method, also known as awake brain surgery.

Regarding the successful procedure, neurosurgeon Dr Chandrakumar Thounaojam informed media personnel during a press conference at Little Clinic, Nagaram, that a 58-year-old man from Hiyanglam was admitted to the hospital with speech impairment.

After necessary tests and diagnosis, a tumour was detected at the intersection of the motor cortex and motor speech areas of the patient's brain.

There was a high possibility of causing paralysis and complete speech loss post-surgery if the tumour were removed using general anaesthesia, as it could affect the motor cortex during the procedure.

This raised concerns for the patient's family about proceeding with the surgery.

However, after thorough discussions, both the patient and his family agreed to remove the tumour using the awake craniotomy method.

In this method, the patient feels no pain as an injection is administered only to the head area, allowing the patient to remain conscious and communicate while retaining the ability to move his legs and hands.

A key aspect of this approach is continuous monitoring throughout the surgery to ensure that the motor cortex and motor speech areas, which enable movement and speech, are not affected during the tumour removal.

Since the surgery lasts around four hours, any slight movement by the patient during the operation could be risky, necessitating coordination with the patient through ongoing communication, Dr Chandrakumar explained.

The patient's family agreed to this surgical approach after receiving proper awareness and understanding of the procedure.

According to Dr Chandrakumar Thounaojam, the lengthy and risky surgery was conducted on October 24 after completing all necessary tests and examinations.

It marked the first successful awake craniotomy performed in not only Little Clinic but also in the state.

The patient was continuously monitored during the entire surgery, while the doctors communicated with him, allowing movement of his legs and hands.

The operation was paused when the patient could no longer hold his hands tightly or speak properly.

After the successful removal of the tumour, the patient was shifted to the ward and is now able to speak clearly and move both his legs and hands without any issues.

Although awake craniotomies are performed in other countries, this was the first successful instance in Manipur.

A video of the brain surgery, in which the patient played the guitar and talked with doctors throughout the operation, went viral on social media, leaving viewers amazed.

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