The ultimate guide to navigating and treating brainstem pathologies from master neurosurgeon Robert Spetzler
The brainstem is one of the last bastions of surgical prohibition because of its densely packed ascending and descending tracts and nuclei carrying information to and from the brain. Although 10% of all pediatric tumors and 5% of all vascular anomalies occur in the brainstem, neurosurgeons have traditionally resisted dissecting lesions in this area. Recent advances in imaging, microscopy, anesthesia, and operative techniques have expanded the treatment paradigm for this most eloquent region of the brain.
