Dear colleagues,

Neurosurgical procedures have been performed in many parts of the world for thousands of years. One may ask what has ancient trephinations to do with modern high-tech neurosurgery including detailed imaging, neuronavigation, intra-operative monitoring and sophisticated neuro-intensive care.

Yet the challenge remains the same: to protect the patient and his brain from the threat caused by a disease or traumatic expansion. It is good to remember that neurosurgical procedures are still carried out in many parts of the world in settings not differing much from those of our predecessors times ago.

We will meet together in Helsinki on 9-12 June 2011 for the 63rd Meeting of the Scandinavian Neurosurgical Society to enjoy interesting presentations and good discussions on various topics of up-to-date neurosurgery and conclude it all with a session on international neurosurgery.

Separate sessions for the neurosurgical nurses will be arranged and we also hope to see many neuro-intensivists participating. An exhibition with the latest up-to-date equipment will be arranged at the meeting-site. Visit our sponsors!

The meeting will be arranged immediately after the Helsinki Live Course 2011 so you can have a chance of spending all week gathering information on how to treat patients better, minimizing surgical risks: protecting brain-protecting function!

Matti Seppälä
General secretary of the organising committee