UCLA Health isn't the first hospital to live-tweet a brain surgery, but it may be the first to employ 6-second video medium Vine as part of the proceedings. Surgeons on Thursday implanted a brain pacemaker to counteract the effects of Parkinson's disease in a patient and sent out Twitter updates using both Instagram and Vine.
The procedure has generated such memorable tweets as "Removing the skin and drilling through the skull for electrode placement." and "Electrode is prepared for implantation. Patient is being woken up at this time."
Brain surgery patient plays guitar in OR during operation.@uclahealth #UCLAORLive vine.co/v/bVBYe5n1Y3q
— UCLA Newsroom (@UCLAnewsroom) May 23, 2013
The patient was kept awake for part of the procedure. To keep him engaged, he was allowed to play guitar and sing during the process, leading to one of the more interesting and entertaining Vine videos from the day.
The Vine tweeting experiment was designed to bring more publicity to the implantable deep brain stimulation devices that can have a profound positive effect on the lives of people with Parkinson's, chronic headaches, and dystonia. So far, UCLA health has implanted about 600 of the devices.
The surgeons closed up the patient already, but you can relive all the fascinating moments by browsing through UCLA Health's Twitter account or by hitting up the #UCLAORLive hashtag. Don't worry if you're squeamish, it's all very tastefully filmed.
(Via Los Angeles Times)