KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has reached a significant medical milestone following the successful performance of an "awake" brain aneurysm clipping surgery, the first of its kind in Borneo. The historic procedure was carried out on Feb 6 through a collaboration between Hospital Queen Elizabeth II (HQE II) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). The highly specialised surgery was led by consultant neurosurgeon Dr Mohd Sofan Zenian, while neuroanaesthetic management was handled by Dr Yeap Boon Tat from UMS. Dr Sofan explained that the awake approach provides instant feedback during the placement of the surgical clip. Dr Yeap noted that the success of such surgery relies on meticulous anaesthetic planning to maintain patient comfort while preserving brain function.

Source: The Star February 13, 2026 07:44 UTC