File this under: medical milestones that are straight-up mind-blowing.
In a historic first for Panay Island, the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) successfully performed an awake craniotomy—yes, awake—a groundbreaking procedure where the patient stays conscious while their brain is being operated on. Wild, right?
The 6-hour surgery was led by none other than Dr. Derek Ben Jabines, a top-notch neurosurgeon and spine specialist, who now officially holds the bragging rights for being the first to pull off this complex procedure in the region. Assisting him was fellow neurosurgeon Dr. James Mercado from Davao Doctors Hospital, while Dr. Ceres Lucot-Laud handled neuroanesthesia like a pro. Real-time brain mapping? That was made possible by neuropsychiatrist Dr. Paul Christian Sobrevega, who conducted intraoperative testing during the surgery.
Scrub Nurse, Rosie Fe Torre, RN, ensured the surgical field was prepped to perfection, while circulating nurse, Felinda Canizo, RN, kept the entire OR running smoothly from start to finish.
So, why keep the patient awake? Turns out, the tumor was chilling in the eloquent areas of the brain—basically the real estate responsible for speech and movement. By keeping the patient conscious, the team could ensure those critical functions weren’t harmed while removing the tumor. Talk about precision.
This marks a major step forward not just for WVMC, but for the entire Western Visayas. It’s proof that world-class neurosurgery doesn’t just happen in Manila—it’s happening right here, on Panay Island.