Origin and evolution of the Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University

THE DEPARTMENT OF Neurosurgery at Kyushu University had its origins within the First Department of Surgery and was established as a subspecialty at th e Neurological Institute more than 30 years ago under the leadership of Kat sutoshi Kitamura. Further development of the neurosurgical department has p roceeded during the chairmanship of Masashi Fukui. These leaders and many o ther dedicated physicians and surgeons, nurses, investigators from other co untries, and staff members have contributed to the creation of a research-o riented neurosurgical environment that interacts fruitfully with the other components of the Neurological Institute. This article describes the develo pment of neurosurgery within Kyushu, which has been a highly cosmopolitan a rea throughout its long history. More specifically, this account outlines t he origin and growth of the Department of Neurosurgery at Kyushu University .