A 60 year-old Italian woman has made history by stuffing almost 90 olives during her own brain surgery. As doctors worked to remove a tumor from her temporal lobe she was sitting up, awake, and working. The doctors explained that keeping her involved in a familiar activity was vital to protecting important brain function like speech and memory.
The neurosurgeon at Ancona's Riuniti hospital said the two and a half hour procedure "went very well". The olives, prepared in a make shift kitchen set up right in the OR, turned out well also.
Many patients undergo brain surgery this way. For instance, the woman in this video playing the violin. Who knew?
Photo: Getty Images Europe