A surgical system for debriding a brain tumor, the system comprising: a surgical cutting instrument including: an inner member including a distal cutting tip, an outer member having a distal region forming a cutting window, a handpiece including a housing and maintaining the inner and outer members such that the inner member is rotatably received within the outer member, with the cutting tip being exposed at the cutting window, wherein the cutting tip and the distal region combine to define a cutting implement, an aspiration control device maintained by the handpiece and including a tube assembled to the housing having a shape commensurate with a contour of a surface of the housing, the tube forming a lumen extending from a first, closed, end to a second, open, end, and a connector assembly fluidly connected to the second end of the tube, a motor connected to the inner member for moving the inner member relative to the outer member; and a source of negative pressure fluidly connected to the cutting implement by a fluid pathway, wherein the connector assembly fluidly connects the tube to the fluid pathway; and wherein the aspiration control device is fluidly connected to the fluid pathway through the lumen, for providing user control over a level of vacuum applied at the cutting implement; characterized in that the distal region forms an elevator tip distal the cutting window and wherein the tube forms a user interface hole adapted to be selectively covered by a user's finger so as to manually control a level of vacuum applied at the cutting implement. a surgical cutting instrument including: an inner member including a distal cutting tip, an outer member having a distal region forming a cutting window, a handpiece including a housing and maintaining the inner and outer members such that the inner member is rotatably received within the outer member, with the cutting tip being exposed at the cutting window, wherein the cutting tip and the distal region combine to define a cutting implement, an aspiration control device maintained by the handpiece and including a tube assembled to the housing having a shape commensurate with a contour of a surface of the housing, the tube forming a lumen extending from a first, closed, end to a second, open, end, and a connector assembly fluidly connected to the second end of the tube, an inner member including a distal cutting tip, an outer member having a distal region forming a cutting window, a handpiece including a housing and maintaining the inner and outer members such that the inner member is rotatably received within the outer member, with the cutting tip being exposed at the cutting window, wherein the cutting tip and the distal region combine to define a cutting implement, an aspiration control device maintained by the handpiece and including a tube assembled to the housing having a shape commensurate with a contour of a surface of the housing, the tube forming a lumen extending from a first, closed, end to a second, open, end, and a connector assembly fluidly connected to the second end of the tube, a motor connected to the inner member for moving the inner member relative to the outer member; and a source of negative pressure fluidly connected to the cutting implement by a fluid pathway, wherein the connector assembly fluidly connects the tube to the fluid pathway; and wherein the aspiration control device is fluidly connected to the fluid pathway through the lumen, for providing user control over a level of vacuum applied at the cutting implement; characterized in that the distal region forms an elevator tip distal the cutting window and wherein the tube forms a user interface hole adapted to be selectively covered by a user's finger so as to manually control a level of vacuum applied at the cutting implement.