Sir Victor Horsley's 19th century operations at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square

Abstract

Although he was not the first man to operate on the brain, Sir Victor Horsley was the world's first surgeon appointed to a hospital post to perform brain surgery, which happened in 1886 at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London. The authors examined the patient records between 1886 and 1899 and found 151 operations performed by Sir Victor Horsley at the National Hospital, including craniotomies, laminectomies, and nerve divisions. The authors present the outcome data and case illustrations of cerebral tumor resections and laminectomies from the nineteenth century. Outcomes and notable pioneering achievements are highlighted.