Patient plays saxophone throughout nine-hour brain surgery

Here’s a feel-good story for you to round out today’s main news. A team of doctors successfully removed a brain tumor from a conscious patient…as he played the saxophone.

The open-brain procedure, led by awake-surgery specialist Dr. Christian Brogna, lasted a whopping nine hours while the unnamed patient serenaded the room with a selection of songs on his tenor sax.

There is a method behind the madness. Open-brain surgery is risky, and damage can be caused to the patient even if the overall goal was attained. Keeping the patient awake and performing high-cognitive functions, like playing an instrument, allowed the doctors to map his brain functions and keep tabs on any problems that might have occurred, like loss of coordination.

The patient had spoken extensively with the team about trying to keep his musical ability intact after the surgery, and thankfully, he was released from the hospital three days after the operation with no obvious issues.

You can watch the amazing video of the surgery here.