MAESTROS IN PERFECT HARMONY

Astonishing picture of violinist playing during her own brain operation... to show surgeons procedure isn’t harming her

AS an accomplished classical violinist, Dagmar Turner has spent years playing to audiences in grand concert venues.

But her latest performance will go down as the most memorable – for it took place on an operating table while she had brain surgery.

Mrs Turner, 53, was suffering from a large aggressive tumour in her right frontal lobe, close to cells controlling the movement of her left hand.

So surgeons came up with a novel solution to preserve her ability to play.

They cut open her skull under general anaesthetic, then waited for her to regain consciousness before handing over her violin and telling her: ‘Play, play.’

For the next three hours, she entertained them as they cut out her tumour in a technique called ‘cortical mapping’ – where they stimulate tissue with a tiny electric probe millimetre by millimetre.

If, when the current was applied, she suddenly stopped or went out of tune, they knew that part of the brain was crucial to playing the violin.

This meant Professor Keyoumars Ashkan and his team could avoid removing areas responsible for the delicate hand movement and coordination needed by musicians.

As she played music ranging from a Julio Iglesias tune to Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, surgeons successfully removed 90 per cent of the 8cm by 4cm tumour – larger than a golf ball.

The mother went home to her husband and teenage son just three days after the operation at King’s College Hospital in London on January 31.

Mrs Turner, who plays in Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra and various choral societies, said: ‘Thanks to them I’m hoping to be back with my orchestra very soon. It means everything that I can still play the violin. This is my life.’

She was diagnosed with a large benign glioma brain tumour in 2013 after suffering a seizure during a symphony.

Mrs Turner, from the Isle of Wight, had High note: Mrs Turner has not lost her skills and plans a comeback radiotherapy but by last autumn it had grown bigger and she needed surgery.

Doctors warned her hand movement could be affected by the operation.

She recalled: ‘I said, “hold on guys this is my most important part, my job these days is playing the violin”. And then I suggested I could play during surgery.’

The former management consultant, who has been playing since she was ten, arranged to see Professor Ashkan. The neurosurgeon is also a pianist with a music degree and understood her fears.

Professor Ashkan said: ‘Before surgery we used MRI technology to map out the areas of the brain, and to identify the bits that she needs to keep playing the violin. We even set up the theatre so when we woke her up she would be in a position to play. I usually stand over the table – but if I was not careful I would get hit in the face with the bow!’

He added: ‘Dagmar has a very good repertoire. I particularly enjoyed her playing Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald – I even put in a request for her to play it for the second time.’

Awake brain surgery – craniotomy – is common for patients with tumours in areas that control vision, movement or speech. The patient may be asked questions or told to identify pictures to help surgeons treat the correct area.

‘If she went out of tune, we stopped’