18/07/2025
File this under: medical milestones that are straight-up mind-blowing.
In a historic first for Panay Island, the ๐ช๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ (๐ช๐ฉ๐ ๐) successfully performed an ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ผ๐บ๐โyes, awakeโa groundbreaking procedure where the patient stays conscious while their brain is being operated on. Wild, right?
The 6-hour surgery was led by none other than ๐๐ฟ. ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ธ ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐, a top-notch neurosurgeon and spine specialist, who now officially holds the bragging rights for being the first to pull off this complex procedure in the region. Assisting him was fellow neurosurgeon ๐๐ฟ. ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ผ from Davao Doctors Hospital, while ๐๐ฟ. ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐-๐๐ฎ๐๐ฑ handled neuroanesthesia like a pro. Real-time brain mapping? That was made possible by ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ. ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐น ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ, who conducted intraoperative testing during the surgery.
Scrub Nurse, ๐ฅ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐ง๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ, ๐ฅ๐ก, ensured the surgical field was prepped to perfection, while circulating nurse, ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ผ, ๐ฅ๐ก, kept the entire OR running smoothly from start to finish.
So, why keep the patient awake? Turns out, the tumor was chilling in the eloquent areas of the brainโbasically the real estate responsible for speech and movement. By keeping the patient conscious, the team could ensure those critical functions werenโt harmed while removing the tumor. Talk about precision.
This marks a major step forward not just for WVMC, but for the entire ๐ช๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐. Itโs proof that world-class neurosurgery doesnโt just happen in Manilaโitโs happening right here, on Panay Island.
๐ท Bryna Kimberly Jabines
