KOTA KINABELU: On July 11, a 40-year-old man with a brain tumor became the second person in Sabah to undergo the “awake craniotomy” procedure. This successful surgery took place at Queen Elizabeth Hospital II (QEH2) with the assistance of a team of surgeons from QEH2, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), and Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan.
The first awake brain surgery in Sabah was performed on a 50-year-old female patient at QEH2 last January 12. Sabah health director, Dr. Asits Sanna, explained that the latest patient was previously diagnosed with a right front-temporal-parietal tumor at Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan.
According to Dr. Asits, the patient’s health was good after the operation, being able to move his legs and arms without any neurological complications just a day after surgery. The surgery was led by consultant neurosurgeon and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) lecturer, Prof Datuk Dr. Jafri Malin Abdullah, alongside QEH2 neurosurgery specialists, Dr. Mohd Sofan Zenian and Dr. Hezry Abu Hasan, and brain anesthesiologist from UMS’ health science and medical faculty, Dr. Yeap Boon Tat.
The success of this surgery was the result of meticulous preparations and discussions among QEH2, Duchess of Kent Hospital Sandakan, HUSM, and UMS since April of this year. Due to the complexity of the surgery, QEH2 invited Dr. Jafri to ensure its success.
“We have also taken the initiative to share the surgery through live streaming to hospitals in the Sandakan, Tawau, and Lahad Datu districts for learning purposes with other doctors after obtaining permission from the patient,” Dr. Asits added. Awake craniotomy is a crucial surgical and anesthetic technique that allows patients to maintain brain function during the tumor removal process, preserving important motor and speech functions.
Through the use of high-tech intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) medical tools such as motor evoked potential (MEP), somatosensory-evoked potential (SSEP), and electromyography (EMG), the condition of the patient’s brain function can be closely monitored.
The surgery’s success was further attributed to the use of image-guided surgery (IGS) technology, which accurately identifies the position of the tumor in the brain and important parts of the brain that need to be protected from injury.
The administration of anesthetic drugs to the patient was carried out using target-controlled infusion (TCI) through the “asleep-awake-asleep” method. Patients receiving anesthesia in this conscious state can communicate and interact with the doctor throughout the duration of the surgery.
Dr. Asits expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in the surgery and emphasized the importance of this medical breakthrough in Sabah. For more information on the first awake brain surgery carried out in Sabah, you can visit this link.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
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