Congress of Neurological Surgeons

The Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) is a professional association representing neurosurgeons, neurosurgical residents, medical students, and allied health professionals.

Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Formation1951
TypeProfessional association
HeadquartersSchaumburg, Illinois
Region served
Worldwide
Membership
Over 10,000
President
Elad Levy, MD, MBA
Websitewww.cns.org

History edit

World War II produced a dramatic change in the world of neurological surgery. Deployed surgeons learned neurosurgery while on active duty in one of the armed services. Others experienced either abbreviated training, or had their program interrupted when called to active duty. After the war these surgeons returned to the United States with a need to add credentials. Existing neurosurgical training programs incorporated these surgeons and the number of training sites proliferated. Thus, in the late 1940s, the number of young neurosurgeons surfaced in communities and sought recognition from organized neurosurgical societies. There was intense resistance from the established neurosurgical community, however, to this new group of neurosurgeons. The Harvey Cushing Society (now the AANS), did not immediately recognize this new group of neurosurgeons and made efforts to exclude them from their organization. The precursor to the CNS was the Interurban Neurosurgical Society organized by neurosurgeons Adrian Verbrugghen and Harold Voris meeting at the University Club of Chicago. The society was open to all neurosurgeons living no more than one travel day away from Chicago. It met for one day only (Saturday). There was a mailing list but no dues, by-laws, officers or publications. About 150 neurosurgeons attended once a year. Most attendees were from the northeast, mid-Atlantic, southeast, and mid-west. Eventually, a more organized effort was put together when twenty two neurosurgeons met in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1951, the first formal organizing and scientific meeting was convened in Memphis, Tennessee, attended by 121 neurosurgeons.[1] The CNS was infolded into the AANS for several years until it held its own independent meeting in 2000, completing the separation of the two organizations. The CNS has expanded significantly and now has over 10,000 members worldwide.[2]

Education and certification edit

The CNS exists to enhance health and improve lives through the advancement of neurosurgical education and scientific exchange. Our mission drives us to cultivate great neurosurgeons. We advance the global practice of neurosurgery globally by inspiring and facilitating scientific discovery and its translation to clinical practice.[3]

The CNS has multiple efforts aimed at advancing neurosurgical education to practicing neurosurgeons, resident neurosurgeons, and medical students. These efforts include online products such as Nexus,[4] assorted podcasts, and a variety of webinars, and live courses such as the Leadership in Healthcare course,[5] the CNS Annual Meeting, and Self Assessment in Neurological Surgery.[6] Many of these educational efforts provide credits for continuing medical education. The CNS also holds courses for written and oral board review, as well as webinars on these same and other topics. Board certified neurosurgeons must successfully pass a Maintenance of Certification exam in order to remain board certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgeons. A component of re-certification is successful completion of the Self Assessment in Neurological Surgery examination every 3 years.[7]

The CNS Annual Meeting[8] features sessions including dinner and luncheon seminars, case-based sessions, and the opportunity to share scientific abstracts with the community.

Publications edit

The official medical journal of the CNS is Neurosurgery. The CNS also produces Clinical Neurosurgery, Operative Neurosurgery, and Neurosurgery Open. Additionally, the CNS publishes CNS Quarterly, which updates members on various CNS activities including socio-economic and political activities of the organization on a quarterly basis.

Neurosurgery provides a medium for the prompt publication of scientific articles dealing with clinical or experimental neurosurgery, reviews, and other information of interest to neurosurgeons.

Operative Neurosurgery is focused on the technical aspects of the discipline featuring operative procedures, anatomy, instrumentation, devices, and technology. Operative Neurosurgery is the practical resource for material that connects the surgeon directly to the operating room.

Clinical Neurosurgery, published annually as a supplement to Neurosurgery, is the official register of the CNS Annual Meeting.

Neurosurgery Open is an online-only, fully Open Access publication with all content publishing under the Creative Commons Attribution CC-BY-NC-ND, unless an alternative is required by a funding body. Content published in Neurosurgery Open publishes on a rolling basis with issues closed quarterly. Neurosurgery Open provides an outlet for the publication of scientific papers dealing with clinical neurosurgery and experimental neurosurgery, such as case series, clinical studies and other information of interest to neurosurgeons.

Annual meeting edit

The CNS holds its five-day annual meeting in the autumn of each year.[9] The meeting covers all aspects of neurosurgical research, including basic, translational, and clinical. Presentations are made in oral and poster format. Attending the annual meeting provides medical attendees with numerous continuing medical education credits.[10] The meeting also features named lectures, notably Dandy Lecture, named in honor of neurosurgical pioneer Walter E. Dandy, and a Distinguished Service Award.

Advocacy edit

The Washington Committee advocates for neurosurgery in the following areas:[11]

In addition, the Washington staff maintains the Neurosurgery Blog, which highlights the latest legislative activities affecting health care and the neurosurgical specialty.

Founder's Laurel edit

Each year the CNS recognizes exceptional service, lifelong dedication, and meritorious accomplishments in the field of medical education with its Founder's Laurel award.[12] Previous awardees have been:

Founder's Laurel Awardees and Presenters
Year Presented to: Presented by:
2004 David G. Piepgras, MD, FACS Mark N. Hadley
2005 John A. Jane, Sr., MD, PhD, FRCS(C), FACS[13] Vincent C. Traynelis
2006 Albert L. Rhoton, MD[14] Nelson M. Oyesiku
2007 Tetsuo Kanno, MD Nelson M. Oyesiku
2008 David G. Kline, MD Richard G. Ellenbogen
2009 L. Nelson Hopkins, III, MD Douglas Kondziolka
2010 Robert F. Spetzler, MD Anthony L. Asher
2011 Ralph G. Dacey, Jr.[15] P. David Adelson
2012 Christopher C. Getch Douglas Kondziolka
2013 Arthur Day Christopher Wolfla
2014 Michael L.J. Apuzzo Ali Rezai
2015 Edward R. Laws Daniel Resnick
2016 H. Hunt Batjer Nathan Selden
2017 Steven L. Giannotta Russell R. Lonser
2018 A. Leland Albright Alan Scarrow
2019 Daniel L. Barrow, MD Ashwin Sharan
2020 2020 meeting canceled due to COVID-19 No award presented
2021 Steven Kalkanis Beverly Walters

Distinguished Service Award edit

The Distinguished Service Award is an award to honor the contributions and activities of outstanding individuals and members of the CNS. The legacy, accomplishments, and contributions of prior award recipients is remarkable.

Distinguished Service Awardees and Presenters
Year Recipient Presenter
1966 Lycurgus M. Davey
1969 Walter S. Lockhart, Jr.
1970 Edward J. Bishop
1971 George Ablin
1973 William S. Coxe
1975 J. F. Ross Fleming
1977 Perry Black
1979 William A. Buchheit
1980 Edwin Amyes
1984 Edward F. Downing
1986 J. Charles Rich
1987 Ronald I. Apfelbaum
1988 E. Fletcher Eyster
1989 Fremont P. Wirth
1990 Merwyn Bagan
1992 Roy Black
1993 Russell L. Travis
1995 Steven Giannotta
1996 John Thompson
1997 Charles L. Plante
1998 Robert H. Wilkins
2000 Gregory D. Willard Daniel L. Barrow, MD
2001 Dr. Richard Perrin
2002 Laurie L. Behncke Dr. Awad
2003 Katie O. Orrico, JD Dr. Papadopoulos
2004 Albert L. Rhoton, Jr. Dr. Hadley
2005 Beverly C. Walters Dr. Traynelis
2006 CNS Auxiliary Dr. Oyesiku
2007 Rodrick Faccio Dr. Kondziolka
2008 Troy M. Tippett Dr. Adelson
2009 ThinkFirst Foundation Dr. Ellenbogen
2010 Alex B. Valadka Dr. Kondziolka
2011 Mark E. Linskey Dr. Asher
2012 Joel D. Macdonald Dr. Rodts
2013 Regina Shupak Dr. Rodts
2014 Jamie S. Ullman Dr. Rezai
2015 Karin M. Muraszko Dr. Chandler
2016 Mary Louise Spencer Dr. Selden
2017 Richard Ellenbogen Dr. Lonser
2018 Mark N. Hadley Dr. Scarrow
2019 David Berg Dr. Sharan
2020 2020 meeting canceled due to COVID-19 No award presented
2021 Nelson Oyesiku Dr. Kalkanis

References edit

  1. ^ "History". www.cns.org. 12 March 2014.
  2. ^ "Membership". www.cns.org. 12 March 2014.
  3. ^ "Mission and Vision". Congress of Neurological Surgeons. 2019-06-17. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
  4. ^ "CNS Nexus". cnsnexus.crowdwisdomhq.net.
  5. ^ [1][dead link]
  6. ^ Fogleson, Megan (17 November 2015). "SANS for MOC Participants". www.cns.org.
  7. ^ "ABNS website". Archived from the original on 2016-11-06. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  8. ^ "Annual Meeting - cns.org". www.cns.org. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
  9. ^ Annual Meeting Archived March 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ CNS Education Products
  11. ^ Political Issues Archived June 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ [2][dead link]
  13. ^ "Layout" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-09-14. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
  14. ^ "CNSQ_009_FINAL.indd" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-11-09. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
  15. ^ "Dacey11282011 | Newsroom | Washington University in St. Louis". News.wustl.edu. 2011-11-28. Retrieved 2014-05-31.