Yeerk removal via brain surgery?

[Chad32]

Would it be possible for a trained proffessional to open a person's skull and remove a Yeerk? Or would the Yeerk's desire to hold on cause pieces of brain to come off when the surgeon pulled? Or perhaps there would be a way to make the Yeerk let go. It's said that you have to starve a Yeerk out, but I have often wondered if brain surgery would be possible.

[AniDragon]

Hm... Good question. Might end up with similar problems to that Yeerk in Visser, where parts of him stayed behind in the host's brain.

[Phoenix004]

It didn't work when they tried it on Stargate because the parasite was able to release a lethal toxin that killed the host if someone attempted to surgically remove it. However, we know that Yeerks can't do that. The problem is we have no idea if it's possible to safely remove a Yeerk that way, and even if it was, I think I'd rather be tied up for 3 days than go through dangerous brain surgery!

[Chad32]

It would be a very risky procedure, and likely not the default means of freeing a host. But in certain circumastances it may be necessary. Like if you wanted the Yeerk alive. The Host would need recovery time, so it's not like you could do the surgery real quick, then get the host to do something before some kind of time limit was up.

[Myitt]

I think it's possible, it's just probably very risky.  Like you guys have said, parts of the Yeerk might get stuck to the brain (or parts of the brain might remain stuck to the Yeerk) because of the interconnectedness of their neurons.  I'd hate to be the surgeon tasked with removing a thin layer only a few cells thick off of something as delicate as the brain, and you'd have to go under all the protective brain membranes and everything...ew.  No thanks.

For that matter, would a Yeerk be detected on an MRI?  Those detect the signals of protons in a person's body (including the brain) and the images change depending on the chemical makeup of whatever cells you're looking at...so I'd say at least the brain would be some kind of different color or chemical signal in the imaging system, even if the shape didn't change. 

[DinosaurNothlit]

I've actually wondered this, too.  After all, this would make it possible to 'cure' someone of an oatmeal-afflicted Yeerk, and would likely be the only way, in that case, since those Yeerks cannot be starved out.

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be possible, but I agree with everyone else who said that it would be hella risky.  You'd definitely have to kill the Yeerk to get it off; a surgeon would probably have to cut up the Yeerk and remove it piece by piece.  And with the Yeerk dead, the connection might be weakened . . . or it might not.  Heck, the Yeerk might decide to hold the brain in a death-grip as it died.  I don't really know.

[JFalcon]

Well with the Yeerk Bane monster Visser Three morphs in book 2 it's implied (I can't remember it being stated or not) that even the Yeerk's natural predator removing a Yeerk from the brain kills the host, it might be different if you had a surgeon but I think it might be a sign that when a Yeerk doesnt want to let go they just dont let go, in Visser it's implied that Yeerks don't actually sleep or rest while the host is unconcious so the Yeerk might be awake during surgery, there might be a way to coax it into lettig go or it might just go into defensive mode aand cling on even tighter.

[Brad the Brit]

eve if it was possible the amout of skull that would be needed to be removed is a danger to the paitent. also what type of tool do you use to scrape a flattend out slug off a brain. even one mistake would kill or permanatly disable the paitent. it would be better in my medical opinion to just wait fot the three days for it to die.

although this may leave lasting mental damage to the paitent.... im confused by my own argument...

[ThinkAgain]

I don't think it is; in books where you get a Yeerk's POV, something along these lines is commonly stated, "...I felt my neurons attaching to the host's neurons..."

So, unless you plan to sever ties between billions of individual neurons, which are cells, you cannot really do this. I don't even think this is possible. Even if you could, it would not be "natural" and the ties may not reconnect to the functions of the host's brain, which could cause disability or death.

I'd wait three days. If I had the oatmeal problem, well, I guess I'd just have to deal with randomly spazzing out every so often.

[Chad32]

As for the Veleek removing a Yeerk, I've said before that I doubt that Veleeks really cared if the hosts lived or died. They're animals. In fact, Veleeks may have originally been brain eaters that decided Yeerks tasted really good too.

[goom]

i've always wondered this too.
i think it would result in some damage, at the very least.

[Phoenix004]

If I had the oatmeal problem, well, I guess I'd just have to deal with randomly spazzing out every so often.

And having an insane Yeerk screaming in my head 24/7 for the rest of my life? I think I'd rather be dead...

[musicman88]

I always thought that the yeerk basically "absorbed" into the hosts brain so if you wanted to remove it medically you couldn't just grab a hold of it and pull.

[Phoenix004]

Nothing is ever that simple when it comes to the brain. Even a tiny mistake could cripple or kill the host.

[Brad the Brit]

Nothing is ever that simple when it comes to the brain. Even a tiny mistake could cripple or kill the host.

i think i said that.... but with worse spelling...