MIRI: The successful Awake Craniotomy at Miri Hospital signals improved access to high-specialist treatment for people outside the state capital.
In an UKAS report, this achievement has a significant impact, particularly for communities in northern and central Sarawak, who previously had to seek complex brain surgery treatment in Kuching or Kuala Lumpur, often involving high costs and long-distance travel.
With this new capability, patients can now access advanced neurosurgical treatment closer to home, while also receiving support from their families during the treatment period.
This advanced procedure, which combines the use of electrocorticography (ECoG) and brain function mapping, was led by consultant neurosurgeons Dr Manvinder Singh Mangat and Dr Lim Swee San together with a multidisciplinary team from Miri Hospital.
According to the medical team, the patient had experienced seizure symptoms, and MRI scans detected a low-grade glioma tumour in the left superior temporal region of the brain, an area responsible for speech function.
To ensure the tumour could be removed without affecting the patient’s ability to speak, the Awake Craniotomy approach was chosen, where the patient remains conscious throughout the procedure.
This method allows real-time monitoring of speech function, thereby improving surgical precision and reducing the risk of complications.
The surgery was successfully carried out, with the patient recovering without any speech impairment and being discharged just two days after the procedure.
The milestone is a continuation of the establishment of the Neurosurgery Service at Miri Hospital in 2018, which has since handled over 500 cases annually, including brain tumours, spinal conditions and vascular cases.
At the same time, the development of this expertise has been supported by the Neurosurgery Department of Sarawak General Hospital, which has performed more than 15 Awake Craniotomy procedures since 2017, while also sharing experience and publications related to the procedure.
Miri Hospital also expressed appreciation to the entire medical team, operating theatre staff, speech therapists, and hospital management for their strong commitment in ensuring the success of this historic procedure.
This development demonstrates that neurosurgical services in Sarawak continue to grow rapidly, in line with efforts to expand access to high-quality healthcare for the well-being of people across the region.
