Spetzler’s real contribution has always been to force the rest of us to acknowledge the feasibility of previously tabooed surgical tasks. And here he does it most elegantly. — Neurosurgery

This remarkable work makes the formidable undertaking of brainstem surgery comprehensible and feasible while demonstrating a safe and judicious approach to its application. — AJNR

The highly complex specialty of brainstem surgery requires many years of study, a focus on precision, and a passionate dedication to excellence to prepare the neurosurgeon for navigating significant anatomic challenges. Although the brainstem is technically surgically accessible, its highly eloquent structure demands rigorous surgical decision-making. An in-depth understanding of brainstem and thalamic anatomy and the safe entry zones used to access critical areas of the brainstem is essential to traversing the brainstem safely and successfully.

This remarkable, one-of-a-kind atlas draws on the senior author’s decades of experience performing more than 1,000 surgeries on the brainstem, thalamus, basal ganglia, and surrounding areas. Its content is organized by anatomic region, enabling readers to study separate subdivisions of the brainstem, each of which has its own unique anatomic and surgical considerations. From cover to cover, the atlas provides readers with technical guidance on approach selection, the timing of surgery, and optimization of outcomes-elucidated by more than 1700 remarkable color illustrations, dissections, clinical images, and line drawings.

Key Highlights

• Beautifully detailed, highly sophisticated brain slices and dissections by Kaan Yagmurlu, who trained under the internationally renowned neuroanatomist and neurosurgeon Albert Rhoton Jr.
• Color illustrations clearly labeled with callouts and other indicators of foci of interest delineate multiple safe entry zones to the brainstem
• More than 50 detailed patient cases highlight each patient’s history of previous neurological disorders, presenting symptoms, preoperative imaging, diagnosis, the planned surgical approach, patient positioning, intraoperative and postoperative imaging, and outcome
• Seven animations and more than 50 surgical videos elucidate approach selection, anatomy, and surgical outcomes of thalamic region and brainstem lesions

This illuminating atlas provides insights into the complexities of the hallowed halls of the brainstem. Neurosurgeons and neurosurgical residents alike who glean knowledge from the clinical pearls throughout each section will no doubt become more adept surgeons, to the ultimate benefit of their patients.