A man in Italy played the saxophone during his nine-hour-long brain surgery in which surgeons successfully removed a brain tumor.

“The architectural complexity of the brain and its remarkable plasticity make the brain of each of us very different from each other,” lead surgeon Dr. Christian Brogna said. “Each brain is unique, as is each person.”

The doctor performs 50 “awake surgeries” per year, according toThe Washington Post. Such procedures allow for surgeons to “map with extreme precision during surgery the neuronal networks that underlie the various brain functions such as playing, speaking, moving, remembering, counting,” he said.

Paideia International Hospital

Man Plays Saxophone During His Brain Surgery

More than 10 doctors, including neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists, neuropsychologists, neurophysiologists and engineers, were involved in the “complex intervention” which was the first of its kind performed in Italy, the hospital said.

Man Plays Saxophone During His Brain Surgery

The tumor was completely removed and the patient was able to go home three days later,The Postreported.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“Every awake surgery not only allows to obtain the maximum result in terms of removal of the pathology, but it is a real discovery,” Brogna said. “Each time, it offers us a window into the functioning of this fascinating, but still in many ways mysterious organ, which is the brain.”

source: people.com