DEPARTMENT OF NEUROSURGERY, KAROLINSKA-INSTITUTE - 60 YEARS

THE SWEDISH NEUROSURGICAL school was created during the 1920s by Herbe rt Olivecrona, who became the first professor of neurosurgery at the K arolinska Institute. He pioneered procedures for the treatment of arte riovenous malformations and acoustic neuromas. He was among the first to make direct attacks on berry aneurysms. Many outstanding neurosurge ons in Europe were trained by him. Clinical research to refine and min imize surgical interventions has continued to be the most important fe ature of the neurosurgery department at the Karolinska Institute. Lars Leksell, Olivecrona's successor, was a leader in stereotactic surgery and the creator of radiosurgery. His tool, the gamma knife, is in wor ldwide use today. Leksell and his students have defined the indication s for radiosurgery and introduced stereotactic techniques into microsu rgery. Today, 3000 neurosurgical procedures are performed annually in the four operating rooms of the department of neurosurgery. More than 300 of the procedures are performed with the gamma knife, and at least one-third of the patients are foreign referrals. There is a strong em phasis on clinically oriented research and development. There are rese arch programs for radiosurgery, management of pain, neurooncology, tre atment of traumatic brain injury, and treatment of vasospasm after sub arachnoid hemorrhage.