Surgery is a primary treatment option for many brain tumor types, whether the tumors are slow-growing or more aggressive. Removing as much of the cancer as possible may provide the most effective treatment and often relieves symptoms.
While traditional brain surgery is done with sedation and anesthesia, the surgery can also be done in a way that you are sedated at first and then alert for part of the procedure. This can enable a safer procedure that also guides the surgeon to remove the tumor effectively.
Approaches to awake surgery for brain tumors
Your surgeon starts the operation while you are sedated, with a local anesthetic for your scalp.
You then slowly wake up, so your surgeon can stimulate areas of your brain with a small electrode. You are also asked to perform tasks such as speaking and moving body parts.
Your responses help the surgeon remove as much of the tumor as possible, while protecting functions such as vision, speech, movement, and coordination.
Possible side effects of awake surgery for brain tumors
Stanford neurosurgeons are experienced and they use advanced imaging and other technologies before, during, and after their work in the operating room. But brain tumor surgery still carries risk of complications. They include:
- reaction to anesthesia
- bleeding in the brain
- a blood clot
- brain swelling
- impaired speech, vision, coordination, or balance
- infection in the brain or at the wound site
- memory problems
- seizures
- stroke
- coma
Published April 2018
Stanford Health Care © 2018