LAHORE: The brain tumour of a patient was removed while he was conscious, at the Lahore General Hospital on Wednesday.

Punjab Institute of Neuro Sciences Unit II surgeon Prof Khalid Mahmood along with Dr Aneela Darbar, Dr Tariq Imtiaz, Dr Nabeel Chaudhry and Dr Muhammad Akmal performed the surgical procedure that was screened live to participants in a workshop held at the institute in connection with the ongoing Saarc Neurosurgical Conference.

A tailor by profession, 28-year-old Hassan of Shahdara had started complaining of severe headache and a pain in his body around two years ago. He was shifted to the LGH on March 22 where Prof Mahmood decided to perform this new surgical procedure on him.

Prof Mahmood said the procedure was performed under the awake craniotomy method. “Conversation continued with the patient during this surgical procedure and if something unusual is observed in speech or movement of hands or feet of the patient, immediate remedy is provided,” he said, adding brain tumours were already being removed with endoscopy, but this modern procedure would help patients receive better treatment at a very low cost in the country.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2018