title: How I do it: Awake craniotomy.
abstract: Awake craniotomy allows continuous assessment of a patient's clinical and neurological status during open brain surgery. This facilitates early detection of interference with eloquent cortex, and hence can allow a surgeon to maximize resection margins without compromising neurological function.
  
  
  
  Awake craniotomy requires an effective scalp blockade, intraoperative assessment, and a carefully co-ordinated theatre team. A variety of clinical and electrophysiological techniques can be used to assess cortical function.
  
  
  
  Effective scalp blockade and awake craniotomy provides the opportunity to intraoperatively assess cortical function in the awake patient, thus providing an important neurosurgical option for lesions near eloquent cortex.
authors.affiliation: The Royal London Hospital, London, UK. ciaranhill@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ciaran Scott
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: The Royal London Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Severgnini
authors.affiliation: The Royal London Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McKintosh
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D014851:Wakefulness
keywords: Awake craniotomy; Local anesthesia; Neuroanesthesia; Scalp blockade; Tumor