New Delhi (NVI): Dagmar Turner, 53, went under the knife at King’s College Hospital in London to have a dangerous tumour removed from her brain. The British woman played violin through part of the operation, in order to keep her skills intact, as her video of playing the musical instrument during the complex surgery went viral on social media.
The tumour, in her right frontal lobe, was dangerously close to areas of her brain that were responsible for coordinating delicate movements in her left hand, as per media reports. These regions are crucial for playing the violin, and in some spots, their distance from the tumour was as narrow as a credit card.
A woman plays the violin while operated by a brain tumor, UK
A group of surgeons at King’s College Hospital in London woke Dagmar Turner to determine which areas were activated when he played his instrument. pic.twitter.com/0kxeGNXlyR
— Moises Lopez (@chapoisat) February 19, 2020
One wrong move by doctors might have cost Turner 40 years of violin practice, robbing her of the dexterity needed to play the instrument.
Keyoumars Ashkan, a neurosurgeon, came up with a creative solution.
They mapped Turner’s brain, opened up her skull for the surgery, then woke her from her anaesthesia and asked her to play the violin. The activity allowed them to see and avoid the parts of the brain she needs to play, while successfully cutting away bits of the tumour.
Turner played music by Gustav Mahler, George Gershwin’s jazz classic Summertime and pieces by Spanish songwriter and singer Julio Iglesias, according to reports.
“We perform around 400 resections (tumour removals) each year, which often involves rousing patients to carry out language tests, but this was the first time I’ve had a patient play an instrument,” Keyoumars Ashkan was quoted as saying by Washington Post.
“We managed to remove over 90 per cent of the tumour, including all the areas suspicious of aggressive activity, while retaining full function in her left hand,” he added.
The patient was released from hospital three days after the surgery.
Turner is a former management consultant who plays in the Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra. She said she was relieved that the surgery didn’t rob her of the skills she’s developed over the last four decades.
“The violin is my passion,” she told the media. “I’ve been playing since I was 10 years old.
“The thought of losing my ability to play was heartbreaking,” Turner added.
