A 27-year-old man who dazzled doctors in Spain by playing the saxophone during his brain surgery has fully recovered after the impressive performance during the first surgery of its kind in Europe.
Carlos Aguilera, a jazz musician, played “Misty” on his alto saxophone while lying on an operating table as surgeons removed a brain tumor, the Washington Post reports. The 12-hour operation took place in October, the newspaper said, but the Malaga hospital waited until Aguilera recovered to host a news conference and release video of the performance.
It’s the first operation on a conscious patient playing an instrument in Europe, according to the Post. It was done to make sure doctors could make sure his music ability wasn’t affected. The musician compared the rare experience to “lying on the beach.” “Two months ago I was lying in a hospital bed, and now life is waiting for me, like I was born again,” he said.
Brittany Capone, 24, told TIME earlier this year what it was like to have brain surgery while being awake. Watch the video here:
READ MORE: This Is What It’s Like to Be Awake During Brain Surgery
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