Skip to main content
search
Tag

Faces of Neurosurgery Archives - Neurosurgery Blog

Our 500th Blog Post: Amplifying Neurosurgery’s Voice

By HealthNo Comments

For the past decade, Neurosurgery Blog: More Than Brain Surgery has investigated and reported on how health care policy affects patients, physicians and medical practices. Posts have discussed the state of neurosurgical sub-specialties and promoted key health care policy and advocacy initiatives to ensure patients’ timely access to care, improve neurosurgical practice and foster continued advancement of neurological surgery.

Its health policy reporting efforts include multiple topic months and guest blog posts from key thought leaders and members of the neurosurgical community. To mark the 500th post, we combed through the Neurosurgery Blog archives to highlight our most popular blog posts and focus series that showcase the current state of neurological surgery.

The Neurosurgery Blog’s 10 top posts:

The Neurosurgery Blog’s top focus series:

  • WINS Series. The year 2020 marked the historic 30th anniversary of the founding of Women in Neurosurgery (WINS), bringing with it an exciting time for the WINS community and neurosurgery. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of WINS, Neurosurgery Blog published a series of articles highlighting the section’s goals — to educate, inspire and encourage women neurosurgeons to realize their professional and personal goals.
  • COVID-19 Series. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted neurosurgical practices across the country. To highlight the effects of the pandemic on neurosurgery, Neurosurgery Blog published a series of articles on the impact of COVID-19.
  • Spine Care Series. The Neurosurgery Blog published a series of articles on the spine to shed light on spine facts, innovation and the role of spine interventions. Today, spine-related disability has been called an epidemic. Misinformation regarding spine care in the U.S. is a significant hindrance to understanding the critical issues surrounding the care of patients with spinal conditions.
  • Military Faces of Neurosurgery Series. To pay tribute to the contributions of the many military neurosurgeons who have made significant contributions and sacrifices — whether on the battlefield, in the operating room or research lab — the Neurosurgery Blog published a series on Military Faces of Neurosurgery. Throughout history, neurosurgeons have served our country with distinction and grace. Read how former AANS president Roberto C. Heros, MD, FAANS(L), volunteered for the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion. Remember the horrors of the Vietnam War, as seen through the eyes of Patrick J. Kelly, MD, FAANS(L), while he was stationed in Da Nang during the bloodiest year of that conflict.
  • Physician Burnout Series. To explore and highlight the rising prevalence of burnout among clinicians in recent years, the Neurosurgery Blog published articles bringing physician wellness to the forefront of the profession and offering strategies to reduce physician burnout.
  • Faces of Neurosurgery Series. The Neurosurgery Blog published a Faces of Neurosurgery interview video series. Conducted by Kurt A. Yaeger, MD, a member of the AANS/CNS Communications and Public Relations Committee, these neurosurgery luminaries are asked about their early mentors, proudest achievements and advice for neurosurgical residents. Click here to watch the series.

Thanks for following Neurosurgery Blog, and stay tuned for great content in the coming decade!

Editor’s Note: We hope you will share what you learn from our posts. We invite you to join the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag #Neurosurgery and following @Neurosurgery.

July 12, 2022
Love0

Faces of Neurosurgery: An Interview with Volker K. H. Sonntag, MD, FAANS (L)

By Career, Faces of NeurosurgeryNo Comments

In Episode 4 of Neurosurgery Blog’s Faces of Neurosurgery interview series, we spoke with Volker K. H. Sonntag, MD, FAANS (L) about his proudest achievements, his favorite surgery to perform and one surgical instrument he couldn’t live without. Dr. Sonntag is an emeritus professor of neurosurgery at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Ariz.

Dr. Sonntag is most proud of the nearly 300 residents and fellows he has trained over the years, and the legacy they carry from him. One of his biggest accomplishments was “putting spine on the map” in neurosurgery, and seeing spinal neurosurgery grow over the course of his career. His autobiography, “Backbone: The Life and Game-Changing Career of a Spinal Neurosurgeon,” is available now.

The full interview is available here and on Neurosurgery Blog’s YouTube channel.

Editor’s Note: We hope that you will share what you learn from our posts. We invite you to join the conversation on Twitter by following @Neurosurgery and using the hashtag #FacesOfNeurosurgery.

September 21, 2021
Love1

Faces of Neurosurgery: An Interview with Kim J. Burchiel, MD, FAANS, FACS

By Career, Faces of NeurosurgeryNo Comments

In Episode 3 of Neurosurgery Blog’s Faces of Neurosurgery interview series, we spoke with Kim J. Burchiel, MD, FAANS, FACS, about his passions, his early mentors and what has driven him throughout his career. Dr. Burchiel is currently John Raaf Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Neurological Surgery at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).

Dr. Burchiel is most proud of his contributions to trigeminal neuralgia and deep brain stimulation, as well as building the department at OHSU. His favorite neurosurgical instrument is the computer, something that has changed the field more than anything else.

To the neurosurgeon in need of a book recommendation, he suggests “Undaunted Courage” by Stephen Ambrose — a book about the Lewis and Clark expedition to the west.

When asked about advice for individuals starting a neurosurgery residency, Dr. Burchiel said, “It’s very much like Lewis and Clark. It is a voyage into the unknown — a lot of difficulties lay ahead, and you need to be able to persevere, be resilient and you have to take it one day at a time.”

The full interview is available here and on Neurosurgery Blog’s YouTube channel.

Editor’s Note: We hope that you will share what you learn from our posts. We invite you to join the conversation on Twitter by following @Neurosurgery and using the hashtag #FacesOfNeurosurgery.

July 13, 2021
Love22

Faces of Neurosurgery: An Interview with R. Michael Scott, MD, FAANS (L)

By Career, Faces of NeurosurgeryNo Comments

In Episode 2 of Neurosurgery Blog’s Faces of Neurosurgery interview series, we spoke with R. Michael Scott, MD, FAANS (L), about his early mentors, proudest achievements, and musical hobbies. Dr. Scott is currently Neurosurgeon-in-Chief-emeritus at Boston Children’s Hospital and Christopher K. Fellows Family Chair in Pediatric Neurosurgery.

Dr. Scott says that one of his proudest achievements is leaving behind an extensive legacy of patients throughout his career, as well as the residents he helped train. He is also proud of helping to better define Moyamoya disease and its surgical treatment.

He offers the following advice for neurosurgery residents, “Becom[e] an expert in something that interests you as you’re getting into residency.”

The full interview is available here and on Neurosurgery Blog’s YouTube channel.

Editor’s Note: We hope that you will share what you learn from our posts. We invite you to join the conversation on Twitter by following @Neurosurgery and using the hashtag #FacesOfNeurosurgery.

June 21, 2021
Love43

Faces of Neurosurgery: Dr. Franklin Lin Keeps His Family Safe During COVID-19 Pandemic

By COVID-19, Cross Post, Faces of NeurosurgeryNo Comments

From time to time on Neurosurgery Blog, you will see us cross-posting or linking to items from other places when we believe they are relevant to our readership. Today’s post originally appeared on FOX 5 Atlanta on May 26, 2021. In the video segment, Franklin Lin, MD, FAANS, a neurosurgeon at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital in Atlanta, Ga., and his wife decided it would be safest for him to move out of his home and into a hotel at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A couple weeks turned into three weeks, three weeks turned into four weeks, and the pandemic just kept getting worse,” said Dr. Lin. He would spend time connecting with his family over Zoom and across the fence of their Marietta home. After getting vaccinated, Dr. Lin wanted to make sure that he couldn’t unknowingly transmit the virus to others. In February, as it became clear that likely wouldn’t happen, he came home after spending 11 months in a hotel.

The full interview is available below and at FOX 5 Atlanta here.

Editor’s Note: We hope that you will share what you learn from our posts. We invite you to join the conversation on Twitter by following @Neurosurgery and using the hashtag #FacesOfNeurosurgery.

June 10, 2021
Love53

Faces of Neurosurgery: An Interview with Kalmon D. Post, MD, FAANS (L)

By Career, Faces of NeurosurgeryNo Comments

In Episode 1 of Neurosurgery Blog’s new Faces of Neurosurgery interview series, Kalmon D. Post, MD, FAANS (L) was interviewed about his proudest achievements, his advice to graduating residents and his favorite surgical instruments. Dr. Post is currently the Department of Neurosurgery chair emeritus at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital.

“I’ve done about 10,000 operations over [the] years, and I think taking care of people and their families has always been number one to me,” Dr. Post reflected on his proudest accomplishment.

To residents graduating and starting their careers, he says to remember, “First you’re not a neurosurgeon; first you’re a doctor. Think about the fact that you have patients and families in front of you, and your first goal is to comfort them and make them better.”

The full interview is available here and on Neurosurgery Blog’s YouTube channel

Editor’s Note: We hope that you will share what you learn from our posts. We invite you to join the conversation on Twitter by following @Neurosurgery and using the hashtag #FacesOfNeurosurgery.

June 3, 2021
Love340