What does it mean to undergo brain surgery? Survivors, doctors speak

FIJ

Going under the knife can be a hard-to-make decision, more so when it concerns one of the most vital parts of one’s body. The brain controls speech, movement, thinking and memory, so a brain surgery gone wrong can temporarily or permanently disrupt any of these important functions. But brain surgery is a life-saving procedure. When medical treatment gets to this, a patient may have very few options: get into the theatre or die. A few patients also die from the surgery. So, preparing for brain surgery is no joke. One simply hopes for the best and prepares for the worst.

Little wonder Nigeria Twitter erupted with joy when a popular Nigerian doctor, Chinonso Egemba, also known as Aproko Doctor, broke the news of his successful brain surgery a few weeks ago. Egemba is a Nigerian celebrity, and suprisingly, he opted to be operated on here in Nigeria.

Reasons for brain surgery include stroke fluid build up, hemorrhages, head injuries, epilepsy, degenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease, blood clots and tumours, among others, according to Cleveland Clinic, a non-profit academic medical centre in Ohio, Canada. The type of brain surgery a patient undergoes depends on the nature and extent of their challenge. Some of the most common types are deep brain simulation, craniotomy, neuroendoscopy, and laser ablation.

“During brain surgery, a surgeon might remove some of your brain or an abnormal growth in your brain, like a tumor. Surgeons can also repair parts of your brain that have damage, such as leaky blood vessels,” says Cleve Land Clinic.

FIJ spoke with Kayode Abidogun, a medical doctor practising in the United Kingdom, and a few survivors of brain surgery about their experiences.

“One of the most common methods of treatment we opt for when a mass has been discovered is surgery, especially, if it is in a critical place,” said Abidogun.