Awake surgery, also referred to as awake craniotomy, is a neurosurgical procedure involving the brain performed while the patient is awake, using only local anesthesia. It is indicated, for example, for brain tumors located in an eloquent area that cannot be assessed under general anesthesia, such as language function. There are various approaches to awake surgery: depending on the institution, the entire procedure may be performed under local anesthesia, or general anesthesia may be initiated at the beginning and then temporarily interrupted for the relevant part of the procedure so that the patient is brought to an awake state. The performance of awake surgery varies from one institution to another.
Indications for awake surgery
Potentially, all patients with a supratentorial lesion located in the immediate vicinity of or directly within the language center or sensorimotor area can be evaluated for awake surgery.