Jump to content
Essential Maintenance Nov 28 :We'll need to put the forum into "Under Maintenance" mode from 9 PM to 1 AM (approx).GMT+7

Violinist plays Mahler and Gershwin to save her music as surgeons remove brain tumour


Recommended Posts

Posted

Violinist plays Mahler and Gershwin to save her music as surgeons remove brain tumour

 

datgmar-turner-playing-the-violin-during-brain-surgery.png

 

LONDON (Reuters) - A patient at a British hospital played Mahler and Gershwin on the violin while a tumour was removed from her brain so that surgeons could preserve her ability to play music and her 40-year passion for the instrument.

 

Dagmar Turner, 53, a former management consultant from the Isle of Wight, played her violin during an operation to remove a tumour from the right frontal lobe of her brain - close to the area that controls the fine movement of her left hand.

 

To prevent any damage to her violin skills, Professor Keyoumars Ashkan, Consultant Neurosurgeon at King's College Hospital, came up with a plan: they would map her brain, open the skull and then get her to play as they removed the tumour.

 

While surgeons cut away part of her brain, Turner played music by Gustav Mahler, George Gershwin's jazz classic "Summertime" and pieces by Spanish songwriter and singer Julio Iglesias.

 

"This was the first time I’ve had a patient play an instrument," said Ashkan. "We managed to remove over 90 percent of the tumour, including all the areas suspicious of aggressive activity, while retaining full function in her left hand."

 

Turner thanked the surgeons.

 

"The violin is my passion; I’ve been playing since I was 10 years old," he said. "The thought of losing my ability to play was heart-breaking."

 

 

reuters_logo.jpg

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-19
  • Like 2
Posted
10 minutes ago, Paradise Pete said:

Excuse may ignorance, but how exactly did the playing help? Did it somehow give the surgeons feedback as they poked around?

I guess that was the idea. The surgeons would have incrementally removed tissue while relying on the patient's continuance to control her hand movements. I can only presume that the area of the brain they were "poking around" in is not entirely specific in that control and maybe some sort of stimulis  was applied before extracting  any piece of tissue? Interesting and amazing but if that was the day the music died I would guess it would still be  better than leaving  the tumour?

  • Like 1

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

Announcements



  • Topics

  • Latest posts...

    1. 106

      Sleep aid for a long flight

    2. 23

      Motorcyclist Killed in Wrong-Way Collision with Pickup Truck in Nakhon Si Thammarat

    3. 61

      Thai Navy's Submarine Plans Stalled Pending Feasibility Study

    4. 23

      Motorcyclist Killed in Wrong-Way Collision with Pickup Truck in Nakhon Si Thammarat

    5. 23

      Motorcyclist Killed in Wrong-Way Collision with Pickup Truck in Nakhon Si Thammarat

    6. 23

      Yamaha NMAX 2018 ABS Pump

    7. 32

      Well that was Easy. Close the Border

    8. 17

      Torn bedsheets: How do you salvage some use from them, after tearing?

  • Popular in The Pub


×
×
  • Create New...