The History of Vascular Neurosurgery: A Journey of Evolution and Revolution

Abstract

The history of vascular neurosurgery is as rich and complex as any other field in medicine. Its birth and development emerged from the necessity, creativity, and technology needed to care for patients with potentially life-threatening lesions. Its growth and technological changes have influenced many other subdisciplines of our field. As a matter of fact, of the numerous evolutionary and revolutionary advances in the practice of neurological surgery, most have arisen from this need to treat and cure vascular disease of the brain and spinal cord. From anatomy to pathophysiology, from preoperative imaging to intraoperative optics, from creative microsurgical approaches to innovative endovascular techniques, vascular neurosurgery has brought a plethora of challenges to the practitioners of this art and science, and throughout its history, the neurosurgeon and the many collaborators and scientists have responded.