My two brain surgeries, and the people I thank for them

As someone who has had two brain surgeries, I appreciated Dr. Theodore H. Schwartz’s insider’s perspective (“Why AI will never replace brain surgeons,” Ideas, Sept. 1). Diagnosed with epilepsy at 6, I am one of about one-third of people with epilepsy whose seizures can’t be controlled with medication. After decades of unsuccessful drug regimens, I opted for a temporal lobectomy in April 2014, in which the neurosurgeon (whom I’ll call Dr. B.) removed the seizure-triggering section of my brain.

Subsequently, a subdural hematoma developed, which required an emergency craniotomy two months later: A different neurosurgeon removed a bone flap from my skull to access my brain, then used suction and irrigation to extract the hematoma.

Eventually Dr. B. told me that a stretched vein during the first surgery may have caused the hematoma to develop. As Schwartz pointed out in his essay, computerized neurosurgeons can’t apologize. Nor can they express emotions. Dr. B. cried during my follow-up appointment post-craniotomy. I believe they were tears of joy, since the second surgery I’d had was very risky.