Indian-Origin Doctor Performed The First Brain Surgery Livestreamed On Facebook

You have probably never thought about watching brain surgery going live on social media. But this was exactly what had happened.

For the first time, doctors working at a hospital in Texas live-streamed a brain surgery on Facebook.

The patient was Jenna Schardt. The 25-year-old girl was suffering from neurological issues, leading to her losing her speech abilities. After a brain scan, doctors found out that blood vessels in her brain were the culprit of the problem.

The surgery was carried out at the Methodist Dallas medical center in Texas. The procedure lasted for 45 minutes. Jenna was awake during the surgery, which is the same as many patients who undergo brain surgeries. This was to test the function of the brain in the area around the lesion which they were trying to get rid of, reducing the risk of harming the crucial cognitive functions.

Even a tiny error could lead to Jenna never be able to speak again. During the procedure, the medical technicians showed Jenna a screen which displayed animals, colors, and numbers to control the brain function.

Throughout the process, Jenna was still able to speak, smile and help the doctors assess her body functions status.

It was the Chief of Neurosurgery who led the procedure. In a statement, he said:

When it was over, the live video had more than 45,000 viers as well as more than a thousand comments. The video only showed Schardt’s head covered with blue fabric and doctors who were operating behind it.

The video was concluded with the doctors attaching the patient’s skull back while saying the surgery was close to perfection. Schardt is still in the recovery room and in a few days, she can come home.