HOMS successfully performs brain surgery on an awake patient
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This operation is used to treat certain neurological conditions, such as some tumours or epileptic seizures.
Santiago. The Hospital Metropolitano de Santiago (HOMS) performed brain tumour surgery on an awake patient for the first time at its facilities, showing that Dominican neurological medicine is on a par with that of developed countries.
The use of this specialised and complex technique highlights HOMS’s commitment to providing solutions that guarantee the wellbeing and safety of the population.
The procedure was led by neurosurgeon Dr. Francisco Matos Ureña, who stresses that this type of resection has many benefits for patients, as it requires less bone removal and limits damage to the surrounding brain tissue, significantly reducing the impact on their quality of life.
“Before the operation, the patient underwent a rigorous process of psychological, neuropsychological and neurophysiological assessment and had several interviews with the neurosurgery and anaesthesia team, where the procedure was explained step by step,” says Dr. Matos Ureña.
The 36-year-old patient, diagnosed with a brain tumour (in an eloquent area for speech, comprehension and movement), had to be operated on while conscious so that his cognitive functions could be monitored in real time, ensuring essential abilities were preserved during removal of the tumour.
This surgery is used to treat certain neurological conditions, such as some tumours or epileptic seizures.
“The patient is kept awake because in some cases the tumour is located in an eloquent area of the brain related to speech and comprehension, and close to areas of motor function, so the surgeon must make sure these abilities are not lost by keeping the patient awake and checking that they are working properly,” explains Dr. Matos Ureña.
This innovative procedure, carried out with a team of experts, marks a significant advance in the history of neurosurgery at the hospital, because with the traditional approach, with the patient asleep, there is a greater risk of losing motor skills, as the surgeon removes the tumour blind, without seeing the effect of the procedure in real time.
About HOMS
HOMS is a pioneer in robotic surgery in the Dominican Republic and holds international accreditation from Accreditation Canada (ACI) as a guarantee of safety and quality of care, positioning it as the leader in health tourism in the north of the country.