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After 20 years of debilitating tremors, a gifted musician can play again thanks to sophisticated brain surgery she underwent while awake and playing Mozart on her violin.
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Science fiction has long teased us that medical and technological wonders are possible and will be a reality in the future. And, as the future unfolds everyday, wonders become reality in the world of medicine, and new tools and procedures enable doctors to fix our bodies and allow us to be higher functioning, more productive and more independent longer and longer.
Violinist Naomi Elishuv has been struggling with hand tremors that halted her career as a professional violinist at the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, for the past 20 years. On Tuesday, Elishuv had brain surgery at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Israel, to suppress the symptoms of her disease. Professor Yitzhak Fried, Director of Functional Neurosurgery, operated on Naomi.
He indicated that this was the first time he “operated on a patient who played an instrument during surgery. I am so pleased that we had the opportunity to enjoy a private concert from a most talented and honorable musician…During the procedure, she did not feel pain because these areas of the brain do not feel pain.”
He went on to explain that the surgeons implanted a brain pacemaker with electrodes in the affected area of her brain. The device emits impulses, suppressing the tremors that were interfering with Elishuv’s violin playing.
Stereotactic planning enabled Professor Fried to identify the exact optimal brain location for the pacemaker electrodes, within millimeters.
Fried added “when we activated the stimulation in the exact location, we found that the tremors disappeared and Elishu continued to play Mozart–with great emotion, but without the tremors or side effects.”
A delighted Elishu said:
“My greatest love was playing the violin, but unfortunately, until today, I have had to make do with teaching. My tremors prevented me from playing professionally, and this was very difficult for a woman such as myself, who was used to playing her entire life.” She added “it’s a shame that I only heard about the surgery recently, I am now finally returning to life.”
As technology and medicine evolve and progress, we are increasingly able to fix our bodies and minds and improve the lives of many. Can this go too far? Will we reach the science fiction prediction of human/robot hybrid? And if we do, will that be a good or bad thing for humanity?
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Photo: William Billard /Flicker Surgery Video /YouTube Photo2: Naomi Elishu /rtl news
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