Musician plays violin during brain surgery

A violinist gave a team of doctors a private performance while she was undergoing brain surgery to suppress the tremor which ended her professional career.

Naomi Elishuv was a violinist with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, but was diagnosed with essential tremor twenty years ago and had to stop playing. The condition causes an uncontrollable shake or tremble of part of the body.

On Tuesday she underwent surgery in Israel to have an electrode implanted in her brain which emits impulses to suppress her tremor symptoms. Doctors asked her to play her violin during the procedure so they could place the electrode in the best position.

The operation was carried out under local anaesthetic. Professor Yitzhak Fried, who performed the surgery, said: "In order to place the electrode in the optimal location, we wanted her active participation in real-time, so we asked Elishuv to play the violin during the surgery. During the procedure, she did not feel pain because these areas of the brain do not feel pain."

Footage released by the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Centre shows Ms Elishuv shaking and struggling to play the violin before the surgery. After the electrode is implanted in her brain, her hands become steadier and she is able to play properly for the first time in twenty years.

After the procedure, Ms Elishuv said she couldn't wait to return to "normal life." She added: "I want to play, sign my name, and drink tea without spilling it."