While sitting under the knife for a brain tumor removal surgery, Brazilian bank worker Anthony Kulkamp Dias didn't dwell on his unfortunate situation--instead, he strummed his worries away to the Beatles Help! staple, "Yesterday," on guitar.
"I played six songs at certain times," Dias told Brazilian news site G1. "My right hand was a bit weaker because that was the side that they were operating on. So I stopped and rested. I was interspersing songs and talking with them."
The 33-year-old inspiration groggily serenaded and played the chords to the iconic 1965 track which was ranked the 13th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone. He placed the guitar atop his stomach while the doctors performed the difficult surgery. Dias performed a plethora of songs including playing "Emmanuel," a song he wrote for his recently born son, while taking requests from the doctors. The professional musician of two decades was asked to "repeat one of the country songs, so I even had an encore," he told G1.
The pioneering surgery allowed doctors to perform the critical task safely while the patient remained awake--a method that inhibits injuries during the procedure. The brains contains zero pain receptors, making the choice to stay awake less mind-boggling."By keeping [him] awake during surgery, these areas can be monitored in real time," said clinical director for Nossa Senhora da Conceição hospital, Dr. Jean Abreu Machado. "It really is a great challenge for the whole surgery team, including the anesthetist."
Transitioning through the brain tumor removal with his passion for music, Dias is scheduled for discharge on Wednesday, leaving the hospital with his increasing health and influences of mass inspiration.
Although performing patients seem rare, it's happened once before in California when Brad Carter manned a guitar while doctors placed a pacemaker in his brain, notes the Huffington Post.
