Never mind holding his hand! Brazilian man plays The Beatles on his guitar during BRAIN SURGERY so doctors could monitor for any damage

  • Anthony Kulkamp, 33, was undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumour 
  • Played guitar so doctors could monitor his senses, movement and speech
  • Meant they could avoid hitting brain parts that would compromise function
  • Strummed The Beatles' Yesterday, Brazilian songs and his own music

A Brazilian man stunned doctors by playing The Beatles song 'Yesterday' on his guitar while having brain surgery.

Anthony Kulkamp Dias, 33, was conscious during his operation to remove a tumour and played the instrument for the surgery team.

His serenade allowed doctors to avoid hitting areas of his brain that control senses, movement and speech.

Anthony Kulkamp Dias, 33, man stunned doctors by playing The Beatles' 'Yesterday' on guitar while he was having brain surgery

Anthony Kulkamp Dias, 33, man stunned doctors by playing The Beatles' 'Yesterday' on guitar while he was having brain surgery

Mr Kulkamp, a bank worker, started with Emanuel, a song he wrote for his newborn son, before playing the classic Beatles hit.

He later played some Brazilian country songs during the procedure last week at the Nossa Senhora de Conceição Hospital in the southern state of Santa Catarina.

'The doctors asked me to repeat the country song so I even had an encore,' he told Brazilian news website G1.

Mr Kulkamp, who played guitar professionally for 20 years, discovered the tumour 15 days after his son was born.

Last week, he underwent surgery while conscious, and played a guitar balanced on his stomach.

'I played six songs at determined moments,' he said. 

'My right hand was a bit weaker because that was the side that they were operating on. So I stopped and rested. 

'I was interspersing songs and talking with them.'

Playing the guitar and chatting to doctors allowed medics to avoid hitting parts of Mr Kulkamp's brain that could compromise senses, movement and speech

Playing the guitar and chatting to doctors allowed medics to avoid hitting parts of Mr Kulkamp's brain that could compromise senses, movement and speech

Playing the guitar and chatting allowed doctors to safely map Mr Kulkamp's brain while awake to avoid injury that could compromise important brain functions.

'While it surprised everyone, the surgery was performed,' a spokesman from the hospital said.

'Cerebral monitoring - important to prevent injuries that occur in the sensory, motor and speech areas - occurred during the procedure.'

Dr Jean Abreu Machado, clinical director, said: 'Keeping the patient awake during surgery, these areas can be monitored in real time. A kind of mapping of important areas can be done.

'It really is a great challenge for the whole surgery team, including the anaesthetist.'

He said the brain tissue does not have pain sensors but the skin and other structures do.

Last year MailOnline reported on the story of concert violinist Roger Frisch, who played his instrument to help surgeons locate the exact spot in his brain to place an implant

Last year MailOnline reported on the story of concert violinist Roger Frisch, who played his instrument to help surgeons locate the exact spot in his brain to place an implant

'At this point, the anaesthetist's challenge begins: to keep the patient awake and pain-free,' Dr Machado added.

The news comes after MailOnline last year reported on the case of Roger Frisch, a concert violinist,  who was able to help surgeons locate the exact spot in his brain to place an implant by playing his instrument during the operation.

Mr  Frisch, a concert master with the Minnesota Orchestra, was diagnosed in 2009 with essential tremors, a condition that occurs when sections of the brain that control movement start sending abnormal signals. 

He needed an operation in which a tiny electrode would be implanted into his brain, which doctors assured Frisch would enable him to control the condition at the flick of a switch.

But in order for the electrode to work, it had to be implanted in exactly the right position. 

Because surgeons can operate on the brain without the patient feeling pain, they asked Mr Frisch to play his violin to see in real time how the tremor is responding as they place the electrode.

 

 

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