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The challenge of overcoming the language barrier for brain tumor awake surgery in migrants: a feasibility study in five patient cases

  • Original Article - Tumor - Other
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Abstract

Objective

To assess the feasibility of awake surgery for a brain tumor in a population of non-French-speaking migrants in Paris, France.

Methods

The Lariboisière database of awake surgeries was retrospectively reviewed, from the first case in 2011 up to July 2018. Inclusion criteria were patients being migrated in France during their adulthood, patients being unable to speak neither French nor English. Clinical and radiological data were collected from the electronic medical charts.

Results

Five patients fulfilled inclusion criteria. Pathological diagnosis included three glioma, one meningioma, and one melanoma metastasis. The standard awake protocol of our center was followed as usual, with the additional involvement of an interpreter at each step. In the five cases, the awake procedure allowed the surgeon to tailor the resection according to functional boundaries. Resections were complete in three cases and subtotal in two cases. No neurological deficits were observed. All patients returned to their preoperative socio-professional status.

Conclusions

Awake surgery for a brain tumor can be offered to migrants, in spite of the poor verbal communication between the patient and the caring staff. A team dedicated to awake surgery and including an interpreter is the key to successfully overcome the language barrier, before, during, and after the surgery.

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Funding

No funding was received for this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Lariboisière Hospital, Paris, France

    Sylvie Aubrun, Catarina Madadaki & Etienne Gayat

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, Lariboisière Hospital, Paris, France

    Isabelle Poisson, Chadia Draou, Mariane Toure, Sébastien Froelich & Emmanuel Mandonnet

  3. Department of Neurology, Lariboisière Hospital, Paris, France

    Marion Barberis

  4. University Paris 7, Paris, France

    Sébastien Froelich, Etienne Gayat & Emmanuel Mandonnet

  5. Frontlab, INSERM, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle (ICM), Paris, France

    Emmanuel Mandonnet

  6. Hôpital Lariboisière, 2 rue Ambroise Paré, 75010, Paris, France

    Emmanuel Mandonnet

Authors
  1. Sylvie Aubrun
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  2. Isabelle Poisson
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  3. Marion Barberis
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  4. Chadia Draou
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  5. Mariane Toure
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  6. Catarina Madadaki
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  7. Sébastien Froelich
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  8. Etienne Gayat
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  9. Emmanuel Mandonnet
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emmanuel Mandonnet.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Lariboisière Hospital and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. For this type of retrospective study, formal consent is not required.

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The patient has consented to the submission of the case report for submission to the journal.

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Aubrun, S., Poisson, I., Barberis, M. et al. The challenge of overcoming the language barrier for brain tumor awake surgery in migrants: a feasibility study in five patient cases. Acta Neurochir 162, 389–395 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-019-04101-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-019-04101-1

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