The brain: A neurosurgeon’s karma

Often we hear the phrase “it isn’t brain surgery”. Each time, it conveys a job or concept that is uncomplicated, easy to accomplish and can be tasked to anyone. As a corollary, brain surgery is portrayed as something touching the limits of complex surgical procedures, that few doctors are capable of. Indeed, brain surgery is an extremely fascinating science, which requires long years of training to master.

Human brain is creativity at its peak by the Almighty. It has yielded only a fraction of its secrets, mostly dealing with its structure, and we are yet barely scratching at the surface when we try to analyse the functions, especially the thought process, emotions, processes of learning, speech, coordination of thoughts, parallel thinking, etc. Brain is our existence; we can talk of my arm, my lungs, my liver, my kidneys, and so on, but, the brain is not mine, but “me”.

The basic functions such as making limb movements, walking, responding to unpleasant stimuli to the skin, intellectual functions essential for livelihood and societal interactions are being understood better.

So as we think, sleep, take a walk, experience hunger or thirst, breathe, speak, accept or give affections, read, write, run, or even stay silent, it is our brain that makes us do all these activities.

There are specific regions of the brain responsible for vision, hearing, enjoying taste and smells, coordinated movements of the limbs and eyeballs, develop habits, etc.

Involvement of any of these regions by disease process can cause disturbance in these specific functions. As the disease process continues, the pressure within the skull rises, leading to headache.

A neurosurgeon deals with the surgical disorders of the brain, that is the problems that need the brain to be exposed for treatment. It is an exciting, yet a spiritual journey for the neurosurgeon, who deals with the very basis of existence of a fellow human being, with care and compassion. The mantra is, preserve life, preserve brain function and make the patient better. That is something enunciated by the Hippocrates, father of medicine, more than two millennia ago: Primum nonNocere

(First, Do no harm).

Disclaimer: The veracity of any health claim made in the above article is the responsibility of the hospital/doctor concerned.