How do neurosurgeons get to the middle of someone’s brain without damaging other parts of the brain?
In: Biology
Getting to ‘the middle’ is a last resort. Getting much beneath the surface is always risky, and the central part is neurologically the most complex. But the brain is composed of several different lobes, which have some natural anatomical separation. To some extent you can also follow the path of major blood vessels.
Any brain surgery is risky to some degree. But the patient and/or doctor may decide that some brain damage is an acceptable risk (or even likelihood) for a decent chance at removing a greater threat. And depending on where the problem is, the effects of those risks can be approximately calculated, something like “you may lose the ability to speak”, or “vision in your right field of view will probably be affected”.
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