Healing in harmony: Iraqi singer plays oud during landmark brain surgery in Mosul

Dubai: A neurosurgical team at Al Hayat International Hospital in Mosul performed a rare and complex brain operation while their patient, a singer from Zakho, played the oud and sang the iconic Umm Kulthum ballad “Ragaouni Ainek”.

The procedure, which was conducted under local anesthesia, captivated social media after a video of the scene went viral.

The footage shows the patient, fully conscious, plucking the strings of his oud with astonishing precision as doctors carefully navigated a tumor in his brain.

Dr. Osama Al Mashhadani, founder of Al Hayat International Hospital and President of the University of Nineveh, described the operation as “extraordinarily delicate,” noting that the patient's active performance helped surgeons monitor neurological responses in real-time.

“The music wasn’t symbolic,” Al Mashhadani said. “It was diagnostic. Every note helped us understand how his brain was reacting, ensuring we avoided critical areas related to movement and coordination.”

Awake brain surgery is rare across the globe, but procedures involving live musical performance during the operation are even more exceptional.

Al Mashhadani noted that such interventions have previously occurred only in a few countries, including Switzerland and France, marking this as a first-of-its-kind success in Iraq.

“We are closely monitoring his recovery,” Al Mashhadani added. “This isn’t just a medical breakthrough, it’s a cultural one. We hope it signals the start of a new era for advanced neurosurgery in Iraq.”