Brain Tumour Patient Plays Violin as Doctors Perform Critical Surgery at London's King's College Hospital (Watch Video)

A patient at King's College Hospital in London played the violin as surgeons operated out a brain tumour. Video of 53-year-old Dagmar Turner playing the violin inside the operation theatre is being widely shared on social media platforms. She played the violin so that surgeons could ensure that parts of the brain which control hand movements and coordination were not damaged during the procedure. As it is a millimetre-precise procedure utter precision is required, hence they wanted her to play the musical instrument. Russian Man's Pet Cockroach Gets Pregnancy Complications, Vets Perform Surgery (Watch Video)

They wanted to identify areas that were active when she played the instrument and those responsible for controlling language and movement. The hospital in a statement said that doctors then woke her in mid-procedure so she could play to "ensure the surgeons did not damage any crucial areas of the brain that controlled Dagmar’s delicate hand movement".

Woman Plays the Violin During Brain Surgery:

Dagmar who is from the Isle of Wight was diagnosed with a brain tumour after she suffered a seizure in 2013. Her tumour was located in the right frontal lobe of her brain which is close to the area that controls the fine movement of her left hand. She plays the violin in Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra and various choral societies.

TIME quoted Prof. Keyoumars Ashkan, her neurosurgeon as saying, "We knew how important the violin is to Dagmar, so it was vital that we preserved function in the delicate areas of her brain that allowed her to play. We managed to remove over 90% of the tumour, including all the areas suspicious of aggressive activity, while retaining full function in her left hand."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 20, 2020 10:59 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).