gms | German Medical Science

Objective: Zurich's stereotactic and functional neurosurgery (SFN) has a long and vibrant legacy beginning with the early studies of the physiologist and Nobel prize winner Walter Rudolf Hess over the pioneering efforts of the neurosurgeons Hugo Krayenbühl and Mahmut Gazi Yaşargil up to the extraordinary work of the functional surgeon Jean Siegfried and the modern era of SFN and neuromodulation.

Methods: A comprehensive review and synthesis of data acquired from institutional archive documents and personal correspondences as well as from international journal articles, included references, proceedings of scientific meetings, staff biographies and book publications were performed to gain insight into Zurich's long journey towards contemporary SFN, and to highlight its stereotactic and functional history.

Results: The history of SFN in Zurich is spanning nearly a century and includes pioneering work especially for deep brain stimulation and focused ultrasound therapy. After an era of neuroablative treatment and thereafter of mainly neuromodulatory interventions a period of both lesional and modulatory therapy followed. Nowadays, robotic supports the neurosurgeon during most of the stereotactic procedures.

Conclusion: Zurich's history of medicine includes decisive moments for the fundamentals and development of SFN. After an early period of innovation and research later followed by a long time of clinical application during the 20th century, it became quieter at the turn of the century. Since the end of the 2000s, an impressive renaissance occurred in Zurich that revived its rich SFN tradition.