Video: Patient Sings 'Sweet Caroline' During Brain Surgery

New Jersey pre-K teacher Krystina Vied was nervous to go into surgery to remove a brain tumor, especially since she'd be awake for the procedure. In the end, it was a "fun" experience for Vied as she got to sing throughout the surgery and even see her brain that doctors were operating on. 

Vied needed to be awake and speaking throughout the operation so the medical professionals could see if they were accidentally harming parts of her brain needed for speech and motor skills. Dr. Nitesh Patel, co-director of neurosurgical oncology at Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute, asked Vied to sing to ensure that he didn't cut too deep. 

"One of Krystina's passions is singing. She loves to do karaoke. So we figured, why not have her sing?" Patel explained. 

When we think of brain surgery, the word “fun” may not be the first to spring to mind. For Krystina, who stayed awake throughout her procedure, it was just that. Her brain surgeon, @patelnv, had an innovative idea: Asking the pre-K teacher to sing to monitor her speech. pic.twitter.com/UPZcjs0Waw

— Hackensack Meridian (@HMHNewJersey) July 20, 2023

Vied sang the beloved classic "Sweet Caroline" during the operation. She also opted for the Grammy-winning "How Far I'll Go" from Disney's smash movie Moana. 

"They originally wanted me to sing 'Sweet Caroline' but I didn't know the words, so they asked me what I would like to sing," Vied told Newsweek of the procedure. "I honestly do not know what made me pick Moana. I am a huge Disney fan. I love the movies and the songs. I am always playing Disney music in my classroom as a pre-K teacher, so I think my mind just thought of something I was listening to recently."

While it may seem freaky to be awake while doctors are picking around your brain, Vied ended up enjoying the experience. 

"I was having a pretty good time during the surgery," she admitted. "I had all the nurses and doctors singing and encouraging me to sing. I know saying the surgery was fun seems strange, but it was. It was like I was throwing my own little concert for everyone."

"I also was very interested in what was going on. I asked them if they would show me my brain, and they did," she added. "That was cool, also just being able to see everything in the operating room. It was a very unique experience."

Vied was able to go home the following day and has been recovering in the company of her wife. Now whenever she hears "Sweet Caroline" in public, she'll likely have a special connection to the Neil Diamond hit that no one else can claim.