For the first time in the history of Ukrainian medicine, neurosurgeons of St. Nicholas Hospital performed an operation on the brain with awakening. That is, during the most important part of the intervention, the 15-year-old patient was conscious.
This was reported in the First Medical Association of Lviv.
Maksym Volovych from Ternopil, who had severe epileptic seizures since the age of eight, became a patient.
Over the years, it became difficult for the young man to speak and remember — the tumor grew and the attacks intensified. The formation began to press on the areas of the brain that are responsible for speech and movements. There was a high risk of paralysis of the right half of the body.
The doctors carefully examined the boy, after which they decided to operate immediately. During the most important part of the surgical intervention — the removal of the tumor itself — the doctors managed to wake up Maksym. This is necessary to control his speech and movements and not to damage the areas of the brain responsible for them. While the boy was talking, neurophysiologists recorded activity in areas responsible for limb movements and speech.
The operation lasted seven hours. After that, the boy began to speak better than before the intervention. Doctors managed to completely remove the tumor, and histological examination showed that the formation was benign, so the patient does not need further treatment. He no longer has epileptic seizures. Maksym was discharged a week after the operation.