Here are three rare neurosurgical procedures performed in the past six months:
Dr. Noor Ul Owase Jeelani of Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, England, led a team of 100 physicians in three procedures to separate craniopagus twins who were joined at the head. The twin girls were born by cesarean section with their skulls and blood vessels joined together. Physicians used virtual reality to create a replica of the girls' anatomies so they could visualize their skulls and the positioning of their brains and blood vessels.
Jordan Amadio, MD, of St. Louis-based Ascension Medical Group, removed a tapeworm from a man's brain, which physicians believe was contracted from eating undercooked pork more than a decade ago in Mexico.
Neurosurgeons at King's College Hospital in London, England, removed a tumor from a patient's brain while she was playing the violin. Surgeons performed a craniotomy while anesthetists monitored the patient during the awake procedure to ensure parts of the brain responsible for fine movement did not become damaged.