Navi Mumbai doctors save life of woman with brain tumour; help her pursue the MBA dream

Persistent headaches soon became a lifealtering diagnosis for a 22yearold woman when her sudden seizure led to the diagnosis of a concerning large brain tumourNavi Mumbai doctors have now successfully removed the brain tumour using a neuronavigation technology allowing the young woman to improve her quality of lifeHeadaches are a common occurrence in many people but they turned fatal for this patient The woman a 22yearold resident of New Panvel in Navi Mumbai who is also an MBA student had rightsided headaches for the past two months On May 3 the patient suddenly suffered a seizure and was admitted to NewEra Hospital for timely treatment by a team headed by Dr Sunil Kutty consultant neurosurgeonTreatment and diagnosisDr Kutty said ldquoThe patient was admitted to the hospital on May 5 and immediately underwent a detailed neurological evaluation She was started on antiepileptic medications intravenous steroids antibiotics and supportive treatment MRI imaging of the brain revealed a large brain tumour in the right frontal region of the brain right adjacent to the motor strip That location is what made the case so delicate One wrong move and she could lose the use of an arm or a leg permanently Given the size and location of the tumour urgent surgical intervention was important for the patients Unfortunately such tumours can increase pressure within the skull and also impact the normal brain function causing repeated seizures worsening neurological symptoms brain swelling and even permanent damage if not treated at the right time Moreover in young adults symptoms such as persistent headaches episodes of vomiting changes in concentration or seizures are neglected So in this patientrsquos case the seizure was a red flag that led to timely diagnosis and prompt treatmentDr Kutty further added Considering her young age and the critical location of the tumour we decided to opt for the surgery without any delay for tumour removal and preserved the critical neurological functions On May 6 2026 the patient underwent a right frontoparietal awake craniotomy with excision of the tumour with the help of advanced neuronavigation technology So a craniotomy involves temporarily opening a small section of the skull to safely access the brain and remove the abnormal growth During surgery we saw that a firm tumour was compressing the surrounding brain tissue Keeping her awake and by asking her to move and respond in real time it was possible to see which areas controlled her movement and steer around them We opted for an awake craniotomy to monitor the patientrsquos sensorimotor functions and limb movements during the surgery for precise tumour removal Even realtime neuronavigation guidance was also used to accurately locate and remove the lesion while protecting critical motor pathways The surgery proceeded smoothly and all neurological functions were preservedDr Pankaj Chaudhary consultant anaesthetist said ldquoAwake craniotomy anaesthesia is The AsleepAwakeAsleep AAA technique is one of the most demanding protocols in neuroanesthesia The primary clinical challenge lies in bringing the patient out of anaesthesia during surgery achieving a precise plane of conscious cooperation where the patient can reliably execute motor commands such as moving hands or legs during tumour removal then safely transitioning them back to general anaesthesiaFollowing surgery the patient was closely monitored and underwent physiotherapy and rehabilitationDr Kutty said Despite undergoing major brain surgery she was able to walk move all four limbs normally and maintain full muscle strength from the first postoperative day itself Timely mobilisation and rehabilitation are important in the neurosurgical recovery and she was discharged on May 9 and continues to do wellBefore the surgery I was preparing for my MBA examinations and I feared my dreams would be put on hold Thanks to the successful surgery and recovery I was able to appear for my MBA exams and felt happy I am grateful to the entire hospital team for saving my life concluded the woman