65-year-old woman with Parkinson’s disease plays clarinet during brain surgery in London
Denise Bacon, 65, played the clarinet during brain surgery in London.
A 65-year-old woman with Parkinson’s disease surprised doctors by playing the clarinet while undergoing brain surgery in London.
Denise Bacon, from Crowborough in East Sussex, experienced instant improvement in her finger movements as electrical stimulation was applied to her brain.
According to the BBC, the retired speech and language therapist underwent deep-brain stimulation (DBS) at King’s College Hospital to relieve her Parkinson’s symptoms.
Woman plays clarinet mid-surgery:
Diagnosed in 2014, Ms Bacon’s condition had affected her ability to walk, swim, dance, and play the clarinet. She had stopped performing with the East Grinstead Concert Band five years ago.
During a four-hour operation, Professor Keyoumars Ashkan performed DBS while Ms Bacon stayed awake.
She was given a local anaesthetic to numb her scalp and skull. Once the electrodes were activated, her fingers moved more easily, allowing her to play the clarinet again.
“I remember my right hand moving with much more ease once the stimulation was applied, and this in turn improved my ability to play the clarinet, which I was delighted with,” she said.
A video of her playing the clarinet during surgery was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by the Associated Press with the caption, "Patient with Parkinson's disease plays clarinet during brain procedure at London hospital."
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Check out the video here:
The video quickly gained attention on X, with many users amazed by Ms Bacon’s skill and her dedication.
One of the users commented, “Moments like this redefine both medicine and humanity.”
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A second user commented, “Playing the clarinet mid-surgery shows amazing courage and highlights the brain’s remarkable abilities.”
Doctors said the operation went very well, and having Ms Bacon play the clarinet during surgery gave them valuable feedback on her movements in real time.
