Amazing Video Shows Texas Man Playing Piano During Brain Surgery

I feel like people throw the word “amazing” around a little too much these days, but this is truly amazing.

Austin resident Alex Chod recently suffered a seizure while relaxing at home on a Sunday. According to KHOU, Alex started feeling funny back on July 25, so he called his mother but was unable to speak while on the phone with her.

He was taken to the hospital where doctors discovered a brain tumor. According to Memorial Hermann surgeon Dr. Nitin Tandon, the tumor was near the area of the brain that has to do with language:

We found this large mass in his left temporal lobe immediately adjacent to an involving part of the brain that has to do with language, perception and music perception.

Of course, Alex would require surgery to remove the tumor – and that’s where the story gets very interesting.

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You see, Alex is a musician and his vocation is a critical part of his life. Doctors wanted to ensure that he would be able to continue in his work, so they chose to perform a procedure called an awake craniotomy. As the name suggests, he was awake for the part of the procedure when doctors map the brain.

Dr. Tandon said they needed to be able to pinpoint the areas of his brain that make language and music:

Music is critical for him, for a vocation and defines him as a person. Pinpoint which parts of his brain make language and music to stay away from those areas and to remove the tumor without any major impact on those two critical functions for him.

I’m happy to report that after seven hours, surgeons were able to successfully remove the tumor.

Here’s to a full, speedy recovery for Alex and many more years of making music.