Patients Who Talk During Brain Surgery

Kim Delvaux was undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor when doctors at Loyola University Hospital woke her up.

Dr. Vikram Prabhu talked to her about her favorite topics -- NASCAR and her kids.

While she was awake, Prabhu gently probed brain tissue surrounding the tumor. If this affected Delvaux's ability to speak or move, Prabhu would avoid those areas when he later removed the tumor. "We call these areas "No Fly Zones,'" he said.

The technique allows the surgeon to map out sites that are essential for speech and motor skills. Surgeons have been doing various forms of brain mapping for decades. But advances in imaging, anesthesia and surgical tools and techniques have significantly improved outcomes. Consequently, patients are experiencing fewer cognitive and motor deficits, Prabhu said.

Some patients remember little or nothing. Others remember fragments. Theresa Shepherd of Plainfield remembers Prabhu saying: "Terry, I need you to talk." Carla Jones of Gary has just a vague memory. "I can remember Dr. Prabhu speaking to me, but it's a little blurry," she said.

Prabhu does brain mapping on especially difficult cases in which tumors are located close to critical brain structures. He has done about 35 cases since he began a brain mapping program at Loyola in 2004. The team includes anesthesiologists, neuropsychologists, radiologists, residents, nurses and biomedical technicians.