Dexmedetomidine in awake craniotomy: a technical note

Background: Resection of lesions in eloquent areas of the brain are sometimes best done with the patient awake. An awake patient provides neurological feedback as the lesion is resected. This increases the chances of a complete resection without leaving a patient neurologically devastated. Unfortunately, this procedure is not always well tolerated by the patient. Methods: We performed a case series of awake craniotomies using a dexmedetomidine infusion. Results: All 17 patients included in our study tolerated the procedure well with no major complications. Conclusions: The addition of dexmedetomidine to our technique improves safety and comfort for patients undergoing awake craniotomy. (C) 2005 Published by Elsevier Inc.