Keeping Patients Awake During Surgery?

Think anesthesiologists only keep patients “asleep” during surgical procedures? An “awake craniotomy” performed on Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy on June 2, 2008 should challenge that notion.In awake craniotomy and similar procedures, patients are anesthetized but are not always under general anesthesia, making them active participants in their own operations and able to respond to requests from the surgical staff who map key areas of the brain.

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Filed under: Pain / Anesthetics on June 11th, 2008