Anuradhapura Hospital conducts first ever “Awake Craniotomy” surgery

Anuradhapura Hospital conducts first ever “Awake Craniotomy” surgery

An “Awake Craniotomy” surgery was conducted by the Department of Neurosurgery at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital on Tuesday (01), marking a milestone for the local health sector of Sri Lanka.

The Anuradhapura Hospital said this was the first surgery of its kind to be conducted at a Government hospital in the country.

The hospital further said the surgery conducted on a patient suffering from an Insular tumor of the brain was successful with no post-operative complications or neurological deficits.

“Awake Craniotomy” is one of the latest neurosurgical techniques that allow a surgeon to remove a brain tumor while the patient is awake to avoid brain damage.

Although most craniotomies are performed under general anesthesia, an awake craniotomy permits the surgeon to map the language, motor, and special function areas of the brain to avoid damage.