Awake Craniotomy for a Deaf Patient: A Case Report

A 45-year-old deaf man presented with a right cerebral glioma to be resected via an awake craniotomy with language mapping. Deaf patients require special consideration of their unique communication needs. We describe the anesthetic management in detail, including operating room environment accommodations of lighting, positioning, pulse oximetry probe placement, and obviating the operating room mask protocol for the sign language interpreter. We describe a novel anesthetic approach with an awake-awake-asleep technique. The patient was able to communicate and tolerated the successful procedure well. For the safety and well-being of the surgical deaf patient, the anesthesia provider must make appropriate accommodations.