Woman Carries Out Diy Brain Surgery
From the Press Association
Tuesday February 22, 2000 3:52 pm
A woman has revealed how she went to the US to carry out do-it-yourself brain surgery.
Heather Perry, 29, from Gloucester, drilled a two-centimetre hole in her head in a bid to find a cure for chronic fatigue syndrome.
Watched by a film crew, she had injected local anaesthetic into the crown of her head before carrying out the ancient surgical technique of trepanning.
She performed the DIY operation standing in front of a mirror, using a surgeon's knife to cut away a section of her scalp before using the drill.
The 20-minute procedure nearly went wrong when she drilled too far and severed a membrane protecting brain tissue. She needed urgent medical help to repair the damage.
"I have no regrets," the communications studies graduate said. "I know what I've done sounds totally horrific and I know most people will think it is extremely dangerous.
"I'm the first to admit it sounds totally ridiculous and I can understand the reaction I've provoked ... but I felt something radical needed to be done."
After recovering from the procedure, Ms Perry, who had been suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis, said she has experienced a "definite improvement" in her health.
"I can't say the effects have been dramatic but they are there. I generally feel better and there's definitely more mental clarity."
Doctors in Britain will not perform the procedure which is legal in the US. It is claimed trepanning allows blood to flow more easily around the brain, increasing alertness and concentration.
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Prisoner of Unreal Tournament # 328986.
From the Press Association
Tuesday February 22, 2000 3:52 pm
A woman has revealed how she went to the US to carry out do-it-yourself brain surgery.
Heather Perry, 29, from Gloucester, drilled a two-centimetre hole in her head in a bid to find a cure for chronic fatigue syndrome.
Watched by a film crew, she had injected local anaesthetic into the crown of her head before carrying out the ancient surgical technique of trepanning.
She performed the DIY operation standing in front of a mirror, using a surgeon's knife to cut away a section of her scalp before using the drill.
The 20-minute procedure nearly went wrong when she drilled too far and severed a membrane protecting brain tissue. She needed urgent medical help to repair the damage.
"I have no regrets," the communications studies graduate said. "I know what I've done sounds totally horrific and I know most people will think it is extremely dangerous.
"I'm the first to admit it sounds totally ridiculous and I can understand the reaction I've provoked ... but I felt something radical needed to be done."
After recovering from the procedure, Ms Perry, who had been suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis, said she has experienced a "definite improvement" in her health.
"I can't say the effects have been dramatic but they are there. I generally feel better and there's definitely more mental clarity."
Doctors in Britain will not perform the procedure which is legal in the US. It is claimed trepanning allows blood to flow more easily around the brain, increasing alertness and concentration.
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Prisoner of Unreal Tournament # 328986.
