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Woman Plays Violin During Brain Surgery

VOA News

   A procedure one might expect to see only on an episode of popular
   television show Grey's Anatomyactually occurred at a London hospital
   recently as a patient played the violin while undergoing surgery to
   remove a brain tumor.

   Dagmar Turner, 53, has had a passion for playing the violin since she
   was 10,and she is currently a member of the IsleofWight Symphony
   Orchestra.Solosing the ability to playbecause ofa brain tumor was an
   especially frightening scenario for her.

   During a symphonyperformancein 2013,Turner suffered a seizure that
   brought to light the slow-growing brain tumor.Located on the right
   frontal lobe of her brain,itthreatened to damage her left hand's fine
   motor skills -- the hand that controls the notes being played on the
   violin.

   According to King'sCollege Hospital, where Turner was treated, her
   first course of treatment was radiotherapy. But after that proved
   unsuccessful and the tumor continued to grow, surgery became the next
   best option. Surgery put her hand mobility and playing abilities at
   risk, though, and it was a possibility Turner could not ignore.

   It was neurosurgeon consultantKeyoumarsAshkan, a professor at the
   college, who understood firsthand Turner's concerns about the
   surgery,since he is an accomplished pianist with a music degree.

   Sothey designed a plan specifically for Turner's January 31 surgery.
   First, her brain was mapped, allowing doctors to recognize and
   identifysections thatwere active while she played the violin, as well
   as sections that dictated movement and language.

   Then, halfway through surgery, Turner would be awakened to play her
   violin so surgeons could avoid the sections of her brain that were
   active as she moved her hands to play. With the brain having no pain
   receptors, Turner was able to be fully awake and performing as the
   tumor was removed.

   Turner's surgerywas a success, and she was released from the hospital
   and back home in just three days. She plans to resume playing soon in
   the orchestra.

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