Anesthesia for craniotomy in the conscious patient

Craniotomy in the conscious patient (CPC) enables the neurological changes to be assessed during the mapping in epilepsy surgery, the location of the electrodes during deep brain stimulation surgery, and tumor resection in eloquent areas of the brain. CPC is a useful technique for radical surgery in order to minimize the damage to the functional areas of the brain. The anesthesiologist must ensure, adequate patient comfort, analgesia and ensure optimal collaboration. The appropriate selection of potential candidates for CPC should be made jointly with all professionals involved in the case. Knowledge of the different phases of CPC, coordination and communication among specialists, the right management of the pharmacology, and anesthetic techniques specific to CPC, along with the ability of psycho-emotional communication with the patient, determine the success of the procedure to be performed in the culture of patient safety. The aim of this review was to describe the anesthetic management, comprehensive considerations, and intraoperative neurophysiological tests for CPC. (C) 2012 Sociedad Espanola de Anestesiologia, Reanimacion y Terapeutica del Dolor. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.