​Thompho Mphephu
Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital Anesthesiologists performed their first and successful Awake Craniotomy procedure on 29 May 2020. 
"Awake Craniotomy is a surgical procedure that is performed in Neuro surgery, where we remove the brain tumour or for epilepsy surgery with the patient fully awake," said Dr Makhosazana Dlamini. 
The surgery was performed on a young male who had a brain mess. The Awake Craniotomy was conducted by Dr Makhosazana Dlamini with the help of Dr Hlamatsi Moutlana, Dr Toms Lushiku and Dr Beanie Mandebvu, as well as surgeons. 
"This is the first time at Baragwanath in this era of new medicine where we performed this kind of surgery on a patient," said Dr Dlamini. 
Dr Moutlana also stated there are there are challenges which they come across when performing the surgery. Those challenges were divided into three phases namely; preoperative which is the period before they go to the theatre, interpretative which is the period when performing the procedure and postoperative which is the period after performing the procedure. 
"The challenges we come across before the surgery includes ensuring that the patient understands that the surgery will be done when they are conscious, that the patient feels comfortable, which is hard to do so when the person knows that you are operating them on their head and checking up on the patient regularly as our job does not end in the theatre," he said. 
Dr Dlamini also noted that it was difficult for her to be in a room of more than 10 individuals, whereby only one person is allowed to speak at a time because they were operating a person who is fully awake. 
"There are conversations which you cannot have because the patient might panic, so we have to ensure that the patient remains calm at all times," she said. 
Both the Doctors; Dr Dlamini and Dr Moutlana, said the successful Awake Craniotomy surgery was a wonderful experience and it was indeed overwhelming to them. 
"After performing the procedure and seeing that it was successful, it gave me great relieve because when doing such a procedure all eyes are on you hoping to see if you will make it or not. We hoping to come up with more good outcomes not only for us but for the patients as well as Bara. We also want to be part of the doctors that can proudly put Bara on the map with the good news," concluded Dr Moutlana