History of neurosurgery and neurosurgical applications in Turkey

Although there is evidence of applications of cranial surgery in ancient times, it is commonly accepted that modern surgery started in the late 19th century. The advancements in anesthesiology and aseptic techniques were the main factors contributing to this process. Surgery of the nervous system, however, has a relatively shorter history than surgery of other systems. The process of surgical development in Turkey did not differ from most Western countries. Modern surgery started in 1890 in Turkey. In the beginning, neurosurgical applications were performed by general surgeons. Most of these applications included procedures for craniocerebral traumas and infections and procedures for pain relief. The first neurosurgeon, Dr. Tuner, started working in 1923, operating in some spinal cord and brain tumor and trigeminal neuralgia cases. Other neurosurgeons, Dr. Dilek, Dr. Baydur, and Dr. Kankat, were trained in France and started to work in the mid 1930s. The first neurosurgery department was established in Istanbul in 1923, and the first neurosurgery training program started in the late 1940s. Today, there are more than 50 neurosurgery training centers and more than 500 neurosurgeons in Turkey. There is an increasing number of publications by Turkish neurosurgeons, contributing to the total body of literature in neurosurgery. The current state of neurosurgery in Turkey is parallel to that of the advanced Western countries.