Experience: a brain surgeon dropped part of my skull on the floor
I was a healthy 34-year-old when a mass of blood vessels ruptured close to my brain. It took three neurosurgeons and a risky 16-hour operation to fix me
TL;DR
- The narrator experienced a sudden, painless pop in his body at the gym, leading to numbness in his left leg and a trip to A&E.
- Initial theories of a bruised spine were incorrect; a subsequent scan revealed a massive bleed on his brain caused by a ruptured AVM.
- A risky 16-hour surgery was performed to remove the AVM, during which the surgeons accidentally dropped a piece of the patient's skull.
- Despite complications and a challenging recovery, including relearning to walk and ongoing proprioception issues, the patient is deeply grateful for surviving and considers it a life-changing positive experience.
- The narrator's AVM was larger and more complex than initially thought, and his case is now used as evidence that such large AVMs can be successfully removed.