Man plays saxophone while undergoing brain surgery in Italy

Gulf Today Report

Italian doctors have successfully performed a delicate brain operation on a patient who remained awake and kept playing the saxophone.

The Paidea International Hospital in Rome said that the patient, 35, remained awake playing the saxophone, during a 9-hour surgery to remove a tumor from his brain, without mentioning his name.

Doctors said that the musical performance allowed surgeons to determine the different functions of his brain during the operation, according to local media.

Dr. Christian Brugna, who led the medical team, said, “Surgery while awake allows very precise mapping of the neural networks that underlie various brain functions such as playing, speaking, moving and remembering.”

He stressed that, "the goal of surgery while awake is to remove a brain tumor or vascular malformation such as cavernous tumors located in certain areas of the brain, without affecting the patient's other vital functions."

The patient played the theme song from the 1970 movie "Love Story" and the Italian national anthem, at different times during the surgery, later explaining that he was calm and not afraid during the surgery.

Italian media reported that he returned to his normal life after the surgery.