Patient Plays Piano During Brain Surgery

This is the moment a musician lying on an operating table plays the piano as
doctors before brain surgery on him.

The startling scenes were recorded at a hospital in the city of A Coruna, in
the northwestern Spanish region of Galicia.

The young patient, a professional musician, was reportedly left conscious
during the brain surgery so that doctors could check he was not suffering
brain damage during the operation.

In the video, the patient can be seen playing the piano on a tablet computer
as surgeons work on his brain.

At least four surgeons work on the man’s head as he continues playing on the
tablet.

The surgeons were reportedly working to dry and then remove a tumour that
had appeared on the man’s brain.

Neurosurgeon Sonia Gayoso, 31, told local media: “We do it like this so that
the patient can help us and cooperate with us in order to see if an area of
the brain is functional or not when we stimulate it. The goal is to remove
the tumour without damaging important functions.”

Gayoso added: “They are tumours of a low grade or slow development that
usually affect young patients, workers or children. We have to remove most
of the tumour, but ensuring they do not lose any brain functions so that the
patients can continue with their lives.”

Whilst general aneasthetic is normally used for the procedure, Gayoso said
the brain does not have nerve cells so the patient cannot feel pain during
the surgery.

She said the doctors touched different areas of the patient’s brain to see
if it affected his ability to play the piano. If touching an area of the
brain caused a decrease in his ability, the surgeons know they cannot dry
that area.

Gayoso said: “So we are creating a kind of map of the areas where the tumour
can be removed and the ones where it cannot.”

The operation was reportedly a success.