THE EFFICACY OF AWAKE NEUROSURGERY IN THE TREATMENT OF BRAIN NEOPLASMS

Abstract

Awake neurosurgery (awake craniotomy – AC) is an intracranial technique in which the patient remains conscious during part of the procedure, allowing mapping and excision of lesions in eloquent brain areas. This systematic review aimed to understand the efficacy of this technique in the prognosis and treatment of brain neoplasms. The search was conducted in MedLine, Lilacs, PubMed, SciElo, and Google Scholar databases, covering the last ten years, in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. Descriptors included 'neurosurgery', 'brain neoplasms', 'awake surgery', and 'treatment efficacy'. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 11 studies were selected. Results show that awake craniotomy associates high tumor resection rates with preservation of neurological functions. Advances in anesthetic techniques and surgical planning are decisive for its success. It is concluded that awake craniotomy is an effective, safe, and viable technique for treating brain tumors in eloquent areas.