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

Aubrun, Sylvie; Poisson, Isabelle; Barberis, Marion; Draou, Chadia; Toure, Mariane; Madadaki, Catarina; Froelich, Sébastien; Gayat, Étienne; Mandonnet, Emmanuel

doi:10.1007/s00701-019-04101-1

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Thus, with a translator trained to recognize the possible functional signs induced by brain electrostimulation, to transmit subjective symptoms and complaints of the patient, and to manage him/ her in these special conditions, there were no additional difficulties of performing awake surgery, even with a complete language barrier. In the literature, the feasibility of this kind of surgery has already been suggested by Aubrun et al, 23 who recent-ly published a case series of 5 migrant patients speaking 4 different native languages, but unable to speak French or English. All of them underwent awake surgery with successful intraoperative mapping, with a dedicated team and the involvement of an interpreter.…”

Section: Feasibility Of Intraoperative Monitoringmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…All of them underwent awake surgery with successful intraoperative mapping, with a dedicated team and the involvement of an interpreter. 23 In this study, tasks were selected according to the tumor location and included repetitive movement of the contralateral upper limb, picture naming, and PPTT. Contrary to our series, however, there were no additional tasks set up in the operating theater.…”

Section: Feasibility Of Intraoperative Monitoringmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Numerous studies have attempted to determine the language pathways in multilingual patients, [14][15][16][17] and the functional anatomy underlying language switching. [18][19][20][21] However, to date, very few series have described the surgical management in foreign patients with glioma undergoing awake surgery, 22,23 and there are no existing data about the outcome of these patients whose native language differs from the surgical team's language. The aim of our work was to evaluate the feasibility of DLGG resections in awake foreign patients with intraoperative real-time cognitive mapping and monitoring via the assistance of a translator, and to compare the surgical functional and oncological outcomes according to the possibility or not of direct communication with the surgical team.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Presence of a translator in the operating theater for awake mapping in foreign patients with low-grade glioma: a surgical experience based on 18 different native languages

Sellier

Moritz‐Gasser

Lemaître

et al. 2021

Journal of Neurosurgery

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OBJECTIVEIntraoperative brain mapping with neurocognitive monitoring during awake surgery is currently the standard pattern of care for patients with diffuse low-grade glioma (DLGG), allowing a maximization of the extent of resection (EOR) while preserving quality of life. This study evaluated the feasibility of DLGG resections performed with intraoperative cognitive monitoring via the assistance of a translator for patients speaking foreign languages, and compared the surgical functional and oncological outcomes according to the possibility of direct communication with the surgical team.METHODSForeign patients who underwent awake surgery with intraoperative electrical mapping with the assistance of a translator for the resection of a DLGG in the authors’ institution between January 2010 and December 2020 were included. Patients whose native language included one of the three languages spoken by the surgical team (i.e., French, English, or Spanish) were excluded. The patients were classified into two groups. Group 1 was composed of patients able to communicate in at least one of these three languages in addition to their own native language. Group 2 was composed of patients who spoke none of these languages, and therefore were unable to communicate directly with the operating staff. The primary outcome was the patients’ ability to return to work 3 months after surgery.RESULTSEighty-four patients were included, of whom 63 were classified in group 1 and 21 in group 2. Eighteen different native languages were tested in the operating theater. Awake mapping was successful, with elicitation of transitory disturbances in all patients. There was no significant difference in the 3-month return-to-work status between the two groups (95% in group 1 [n = 58/61] vs 88% in group 2 [n = 15/17]; p = 0.298). Similarly, no significant difference between the two groups was found regarding the intraoperative tasks performed, the mean duration of the surgery, and the rate of permanent postoperative deficit. A significantly greater EOR was observed in group 1 patients in comparison to group 2 patients (90.4% ± 10.6% vs 87.7% ± 6.1%; p = 0.029).CONCLUSIONSReal-time translation by an interpreter during awake resection of glioma is feasible and safe in foreign patients. Nonetheless, when no direct verbal communication is possible between the surgical team and the patient, the EOR is less.

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Section: Feasibility Of Intraoperative Monitoringmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Feasibility Of Intraoperative Monitoringmentioning

confidence: 99%