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Mass General Hospital Web
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History of Neurosurgery
at Massachusetts General Hospital - Harvard Medical School |
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![[MGH Neurosurgical Service]](/images/NShome2.JPG) |
As you have seen, we
use the symbol of the Bulfinch
Building as a link to
our MGH
Neurosurgery main web
system and the logo for the
MGH
Neurosurgical Service.
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The
East and West Neurosurgical
Services are named after
the wings of the Bulfinch
building. The South
Surgical Service also
dates to the time of
Harvey Cushing's House
Pupilship (internship)
at MGH.
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Department
of Neurological Surgery, University
of Pittsburgh School of Medicine,
Pennsylvania.
"... The
early history of the Massachusetts
General Hospital (MGH) is reviewed
with emphasis on the development
of neurological surgery. The hospital
opened in 1823 [sic - acutal1821].
Early trephinations were performed
by Dr. John Collins Warren and others
for treatment of trauma and epilepsy.
In the 1880's, interest in brain
surgery increased, and Dr. John
Elliot performed several trephinations
for brain tumors, three of which
were witnessed by Dr. Harvey Cushing
during his years at the MGH as medical
student and intern. In 1911, all
brain surgery was placed in the
hands of Dr. S. J. Mixter. He later
shared the assignment with his son,
Dr. W. J. Mixter, who described
herniation of the intervertebral
disc with Dr. J. S. Barr and became
the first Chief of the Neurosurgical
Service at MGH in 1939. ..."
[ Abstract
- Neurosurg 1993 Dec;79(6):948-959
]
[ PDF
copy of the Article from The Journal
of Neurosurgery ]
The Massachusetts General
Hospital. The Sequel.
by Dr
Nicholas T. Zervas, M.D.
Department of Neurosurgery,
Massachusetts General Hospital,
Boston Massachusetts
Since the 1930's, the residents
and fellows....
[ PDF
copy of the Article from The Journal
of Neurosurgery ]
Outline of
the history of neurosurgery at MGH
Two major branches of American
neurosurgery could be said to have
passed from Victor Horsley via John
W. Eliot at M.G.H.. The first was
Harvey Cushing and the American
school of neurosurgery for intracranial
tumors. The second passed to Samuel
J. Mixter and his son William Jason
Mixter and concentrated on functional
and spinal neurosurgery:
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Harvey Cushing (far left)
in 1895 during his House Pupilship
(internship) at Massachusetts General
Hospital.
- Harvey Cushing spends his
year (1895-6) as a House Pupil at
M.G.H. where he participates in
a number of neurosurgical cases
with Elliot. He also introduces
the monitoring of blood pressure
and heart rate during anesthesia
(Ether Charts).
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Samuel
J. Mixter, MD
- Special
Assignment in the Surgery of
the Central Nervous System, 1911-1917
- The first successful surgical
stabilization of atlantoaxial (C1-C2)
instability (Mixter and Osgood Ann
Surg 51:193-207, 1910).
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William
Jason Mixter, MD
- Takes over the Special Assignment
in 1917 and is appointed first Chief
of the MGH Neurosurgical Service,
1933-1946.
- A founder of minimally invasive
neurosurgery, Dr. Mixter was the
first to successfully treat hydrocephalus
with endoscopic third ventriculostomy.
(Boston Med. Surg. J. 188:277-8,
1923)
- Publishes seminal paper
on the discovery of herniated
intervertebral disks as a cause
of pathology in 1933.
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James
Clarke White, MD
- Chief of the Neurosurgical
Service 1941-1961 (W.J. Mixter served
as acting chief from 1941 to 1946
while Dr. White served in the Navy.)
Contributions to the neurosurgical
treatment of pain and spine neurosurgery.
- First (with Drs Lougheed
and Sweet) to use hypothermia for
neuroprotection during surgery.
(J. Neurosurg 12:240-255,
1955)
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William
H. Sweet, MD, D.Sc.
- Chief of the Neurosurgical
Service 1961-1977.
- Co-inventor (with MGH's
Gordon Brownell) of positron
emission tomography (PET Scanning,
Nucleonics 11:40-45,
1953)
- Originator and major proponent
of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy
for brain tumors (J. Neurosurg
9: 200-209, 1952)
- Developed the most frequently
used procedure for the treatment
of trigeminal neuralgia (radiofrequency
lesioning of the trigeminal ganglion.
J Neurosurg 40:143-156,
1974).
- Performed one of the first
successful carotid bifurcation reconstructions
(with Drs. Hamlin and Lougheed)
on June 11, 1953 (J Neurosurg
15:427-437).
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Other
selected MGH and MGH-neurosurgical-service
alumni contributions to Neurosurgery
- The identification by C. Miller
Fisher (of the MGH Neurology Service)
that carotid bifurcation occlusive
disease is the major preventable cause
of stroke and transient ischemic attack.
(Arch Neurol Psychiat 65:346-377,
1951 and Arch Neurol Psychiat 72:187-204,
1954).
- A history
of radiosurgery with emphasis on early
introduction of particle beams at MGH
- The introduction of the operating
microscope into neurosurgery (while
at U Vermont): R.
M. Peardon Donaghy , MD, D.Sc., F.A.C.S.
- Hakim's
Disease : Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
- Introduction of osmotic diruetics
for reduction of intracranial pressure:
Manucher Javid (while at U Wisconsin),
Surg Clin North Am pp.907-028,
1958.
- Discovery of the anticonvulsant
properties of diphenylhydantoin .
Tracy Putnam (while at Boston City Hospital)
and H. Houston Merritt, Science
85:525-526, 1937.
- Introduction of endovascular
surgery for arteriovenous malformations
(AVMs) and aneurysms: Alfred J. Luessenhop
(while at Georgetown University) and A.
C. Velasquez J. Neurosurg 21:85-91,
1964.
For more
information see:
- The Massachusetts General Hospital:
Early
History and Neurosurgery to 1939 by
Fred G. Barker II from Journal of Neurosurgery
79: 948-958, 1993. Copyright
American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
- The Massachusetts General Hospital:
The
Sequel by Nicholas
T. Zervas , MD from Journal of
Neurosurgery 79:959-959, 1993.
Copyright American Association of Neurological
Surgeons.
- Neurosurgery at the Massachusetts
General Hospital 1909-1983: A short History
and Alumni Record, edited by Nicholas
T. Zervas and the Neurosurgical Staff,
Copyright Massachusetts General Hospital,
1984.
- A
History of Radiosurgery
- The MGH Neurosurgery
Residents, Neurosurgery Fellows, and
Neurosurgery
Alumni Homepages.
Other Online medical history resources
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