LONDON (WHDH) — A patient at King’s College Hospital in London elegantly played the violin as surgeons removed a tumor from her brain.
Dagmar Turner, 53, was diagnosed in 2013 with a slow growing glioma after suffering a seizure while performing for the Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra, according to the hospital.
She underwent a biopsy and then radiotherapy but the tumor had grown and became more aggressive by fall 2019.
Professor Keyoumars Ashkan, consultant neurosurgeon at King’s College Hospital, and the neurosurgical team devised a plan to surgically remove the tumor, which was located in the right frontal lobe of Turner’s brain, close to an area that controls the fine movement of her left hand.
Turner was awaken mid-procedure so she could play the violin while surgeons removed her tumor to ensure the areas of her brain that are crucial for playing the musical instrument were not inadvertently damaged.
“King’s is one of the largest brain tumour centres in the UK. We perform around 400 resections (tumour removals) each year, which often involves rousing patients to carry out language tests, but this was the first time I’ve had a patient play an instrument,” Ashkan said in a statement. “We knew how important the violin is to Dagmar so it was vital that we preserved function in the delicate areas of her brain that allowed her to play. We managed to remove over 90 percent of the tumour, including all the areas suspicious of aggressive activity, while retaining full function in her left hand.”
Turner was released from King’s College Hospital three days following her surgery. She will be monitored by her local hospital.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)