Overview

• Florida musician Christian Nolen underwent a successful 'awake craniotomy' to remove a glioma tumor from his brain, playing guitar during the procedure to help surgeons monitor his dexterity.
• The surgery was performed at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, led by Dr. Ricardo Komotar.
• Nolen was initially put to sleep for the procedure, but was awakened during key parts to play his guitar, performing songs from bands like System of a Down and Deftones.
• Despite a momentary lapse in hand function during the surgery, the medical team was able to remove the entire tumor without causing permanent damage.
• Nolen has since resumed most of his normal activities, including playing guitar, and is awaiting final pathology results on the tumor.