title: History of the Neurosurgery Department of Pontificia Universidad Catolica, Santiago, Chile.
abstract: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile's medical school was founded in 1929. An interest in neurosurgical development arose in the minds of the Dean, Dr. Cristobal Espíldora, and the Chief of Surgery, Dr. Rodolfo Rencoret, in 1946. They encouraged and supported Dr. J. Ricardo Olivares to specialize in Neurosurgery with Professor H. Olivecrona in Stockholm, Sweden. The first neurosurgical procedure in the Hospital Clínico de la Universidad Católica was performed in 1950. Since then, intensive efforts have been made to develop neurosurgery and its science. As a result, it is now a center capable of achieving high-quality standards in vascular, oncologic, and endoscopic neurosurgery; stereotactic and radiosurgery; complex spine surgery; pediatric neurosurgery; and epilepsy surgery. This article tells the story of a university hospital neurosurgery service in a country at the southern end of the world and how it became one of the most important neurosurgical centers in Chile and South America.
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery and Neurology Service, Hospital de Puerto Montt, Puerto Montt, Chile. Electronic address: fejsfeir@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sfeir
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínico Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Villanueva
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínico Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile.
authors.forename: Patricio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tagle
mesh_terms: D002677:Chile; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000266:history*; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000266:history*; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000266:history*; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000266:history*
keywords: Chile; History; Neurosurgery; University hospital