Karachi: The patient was talking to his son on the phone while surgeons operated on his brain at Memon Medical Institute Hospital during a rare awake craniotomy that allowed doctors to remove a tumour without harming his speech or movement.
Awake craniotomy is a type of brain surgery performed while the patient is awake but pain-free. Surgeons use it when the tumour or damaged area is close to parts of the brain that control speech, movement or vision. Keeping the patient awake allows the team to test these functions in real time by asking the patient to talk, move their hand or name objects.
The operation was carried out on a man with a low-grade tumour in the left fronto parietal region, an area of the brain responsible for language and right-side motor power. Because even minor injury to this region can cause lifelong disability, the surgical team kept the patient awake to monitor every word he spoke and every movement he made.
Doctors said awake craniotomy helps the surgeon remove as much of the tumour as possible without damaging healthy brain tissue. The patient does not feel pain because the brain itself has no pain receptors, and strong local anesthesia is used on the scalp. It is considered a safe, specialised procedure that improves outcomes when operating near critical areas of the brain.
Dr Muzaffer, the spinal and neurosurgeon who led the procedure, said the patient remained stable throughout the surgery and recovered without any weakness or speech difficulty. “My patient is very well without any deficit in right-side motor power and speech,” he said, thanking his entire team for their support.
The surgeons used intraoperative ultrasound to accurately locate the tumour and guide its safe removal. Continuous speech and power testing throughout the operation helped them avoid damaging vital parts of the brain while achieving a successful resection.
Awake craniotomy is performed at only a few advanced centres in Pakistan due to the high level of expertise, technology and team coordination required. The successful outcome at MMIH adds to the growing number of local hospitals capable of safely performing complex brain operations.
According to Dr Muzaffer, the case shows that with proper planning and teamwork, patients in Pakistan can receive high-quality neurosurgical care using international standards without needing to travel abroad.
Ends