Neurosurgery
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Historical Article
The Department of Neurosurgery of the University of Cape Town: a brief historical overview.
Neurosurgery as an independent discipline at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town commenced with the return of Hermann de Villiers Hammann from Munich in 1946. He developed the unit with Alex Gonski, J. P. ⋯ Peter has been the Helen and Morris Mauerberger Professor and chairman of the department, which now consists of six full-time neurosurgeons, six part-time consultants, seven registrars, and two interns. Two to three thousand outpatients are treated each year, and approximately 1000 surgical procedures are performed. Sociopolitical changes in South Africa have resulted in a reduction in funding of tertiary academic health services, and this presents major challenges for the future.
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Associations among various factors and the occurrence of hydrocephalus after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) were evaluated retrospectively in 897 patients enrolled in the North American study of tirilazad mesylate. ⋯ Hydrocephalus seems to have a multifactorial etiology. Knowledge of risk factors related to the occurrence of hydrocephalus may help guide neurosurgeons in the long-term care of patients who have experienced aneurysmal SAH.
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Biography Historical Article
M. Gazi Yaşargil: Neurosurgery's man of the century.
Dissatisfied with the available macrosurgical techniques and encouraged by colleagues such as Donaghy and Krayenbühl, M. Gazi Yaşargil possessed the ingenuity to take advantage of and further improve emerging technologies such as angiography to develop microsurgery. To enable the advancement of microsurgical techniques, Yaşargil created innovative instrumentation, such as the floating microscope, the self-retaining adjustable retractor, microsurgical instruments, and ergonomic aneurysm clips and appliers. His genius in developing microsurgical techniques for use in cerebrovascular neurosurgery has transformed the outcomes of patients with conditions that were previously inoperable.
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This article reviews the 1681 edition of The Anatomy of the Brain, by Thomas Willis (1621-1675), which was first published in Latin in 1664. Although description of the circulation at the base of the brain is part of this text, the majority of the book is devoted to functional anatomic features of the brain. ⋯ Extensive comparisons are made between "lower" animals and human subjects, emphasizing the differences in their intellects. This unique document ushered in the era of modern neuroanatomy and laid the groundwork for future neuroanatomic and neurophysiological investigations.
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Biography Historical Article
Neurosurgery's man of the century: Harvey Cushing--the man and his legacy.
There is overwhelming consensus that Harvey Cushing represents the neurosurgeon of the century, at least for the first half of the 20th century. This article explores a variety of factors that led to his preeminent position in the specialty of neurological surgery.