Preuss Resident Research Award: maximal resection of low-grade intrinsic brain tumors using "awake" craniotomy and multiple marginal smear biopsies: neurological deficit rate and long-term survival data.

INTRODUCTION “Awake” craniotomy with multiple marginal biopsies was used to resect 154 presumed low-grade brain tumors. Intraoperative neurological deficits were more likely to be permanent (47.1%) than those detected postoperatively (12.5%). The permanent, significant neurological deficit rate was 6.5%. The survival rate for Grade 2 lesions was 65.1% (43 patients) at 10 years and 85.9% (71 patients) at 5 years. Survival was better after total resection.