What is Functional Brain Mapping?
Functional Brain Mapping, commonly known as Awake Craniotomy, is considered as the safest brain surgery for eloquent brain lesions e.g. tumors, cavernoma, etc. In fact, it is considered the standard of care in Glioma Surgery.
Using a brain stimulator device, the neurosurgeon maps out the “eloquent” or the highly functional areas of the brain in order to prevent or at least minimize the neurologic deficit because of the location of the lesion.
Currently, Cardinal Santos Medical Center is the only hospital in the Philippines that has the most advanced technology to offer this world-class standard technique.
The Awake Craniotomy Team
Awake Craniotomy is a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of brain lesions. The team is composed of neurosurgeons, neuroanesthesiologists, neuropsychologist, neuroradiologist, neuropathologist, and neuro-oncologists.
Using the cranial MRI with/ without fMRI and DTI, planning before the surgery is according to the function and lifestyle of the patient making it a highly individualized and personalized approach.
Our Brain & Spine Specialty Center is equipped with almost 30 licensed battery of neuropsychological tests used for the Functional Brain Mapping. These tests guide the neurosurgeon in preserving the language and other cognitive functions of the patient.
Our Surgical Armamentaria
Pre-planning decreases the duration of surgery and is done by incorporating all neuroimaging data into the neuronavigation system.
The white matter tracts, which are located in the subcortical or deep area of the brain, are considered as the most important part of the brain for the different kinds of functions.
Our unique brain stimulator device is capable of both cortical and subcortical stimulation, which truly maps out the surface and the deep areas of the brain thereby preserving the important white matter tracts. This standard technique, combined with the intra-operative neuromonitoring, ensures the safety of the patient.
The Surgery Process
DURING the Surgery
The patient is only awaken during the most critical stage of the surgery. According to the neurologic status, neuropsychological test results, tumor location, profession, and lifestyle of the patient, a personalized protocol is used to map out in order to preserve the most important functions of the brain i.e. motor, sensory, language, and other higher cognitive areas.
AFTER the Surgery
Cardinal Santos Medical Center is the only hospital in the Philippines that has a Neurocognitive Rehabilitation Center. If needed, this is available for faster post-operative recovery of the patient.