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Treatment Overview.

Awake brain surgery, also called awake craniotomy, is a type of procedure performed on the brain while you are awake and alert. Awake brain surgery is used to treat some brain (neurological) conditions, including some brain tumors or epileptic seizures.

 

If your tumor or the area of your brain where your seizures occur (epileptic focus) is near the parts of your brain that control vision, movement or speech, you may need to be awake during surgery. Your surgeon may ask you questions and monitor the activity in your brain as you respond.

Eligibility For Treatment.

If a tumor or section of your brain that causes seizures needs surgical removal, doctors must be sure that they are not damaging an area of the brain that affects your language, speech and motor skills.

 

It's difficult to pinpoint those areas exactly before surgery. Awake brain surgery allows the surgeon to know exactly which areas of your brain control those functions and avoid them.

Preparation Before Treatment.

Doctors first will determine if awake brain surgery is the right choice for you. Doctors will also explain what you can expect during the procedure and the benefits and risks of awake brain surgery.

Before surgery, your neurosurgeon or a speech-language pathologist may ask you to identify pictures and words on cards or on a computer so that your answers can be compared during surgery.

 

About Treatment.

An anesthesia specialist (anesthesiologist) will give you some medication to make you sleepy for parts of your awake brain surgery. Your neurosurgeon will apply numbing medications to your scalp to ensure your comfort.

 

During the procedure, doctors place your head in a fixed position to keep your head still and ensure surgical accuracy. Some of your hair will be clipped. Your surgeon then removes part of your skull to reach your brain.

Your anesthesiologist and surgical team carefully monitor and assess your body and brain functions and alerts your surgeon if surgery affects brain function.

Post-Treatment Care Treatment.

After surgery, your surgeon may request an MRI to ensure that removal of the tumor or epileptic focus is complete.

 

You'll probably be in the intensive care unit for a while after surgery and spend about two to three days in the hospital.

Treatment Recovery Tips.

You generally may return to work and normal activities in six weeks to three months. You'll have a follow-up appointment with your doctor about three months after surgery.

Treatment FAQs.

Is awake brain surgery common?

Currently, most surgeons around the world conduct this surgery while the patient is awake. You read that right: It's considered standard clinical practice to keep a patient awake for the four to six hours it takes to implant electrodes into specific areas of the brain that control movement.

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