LONDON, UK — Video of a patient at King’s College Hospital in London has taken the internet by storm.
The video shows Dagmar Turner, 53, playing the violin while surgeons removed a tumor from her brain.
According to a press release from King's College Hospital, the unusual approach was taken to ensure areas of the patient’s brain responsible for delicate hand movement and coordination – crucial components when playing violin – were not inadvertently damaged during the millimeter-precise procedure.
In 2013, Turner was diagnosed in with a large grade 2 (slow growing) glioma after suffering a seizure during a symphony.
"The committed violinist, who plays in Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra and various choral societies, underwent biopsy and then radiotherapy at her local specialist hospital to keep the tumor at bay," the press release stated. "When it became apparent in autumn 2019 that the tumor had grown and become more aggressive Turner, who has a 13-year-old son, was keen for surgery to remove it."
Three days after the procedure, Turner was well enough to go home to her husband and son. She will continue to be monitored by her local hospital.
"We knew how important the violin is to Dagmar so it was vital that we preserved function in the delicate areas of her brain that allowed her to play," said Professor Keyoumars Ashkan, Consultant Neurosurgeon at King’s College Hospital. "We managed to remove over 90 percent of the tumor, including all the areas suspicious of aggressive activity, while retaining full function in her left hand.”