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Bozdag S, Sucu HK, Yildirim S. Women in Neurosurgery: Turkey's Yıldız Yalçınlar. World Neurosurg 2023; 180:71-76. [PMID: 37708972 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2023.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severalreports have been published on the history of pioneering women pursuing neurosurgery. Women in Turkey started receiving neurosurgery specialty training later than men, as was the case in other parts of the world. However, compared to other countries, Turkey saw the admission of women in neurosurgery sooner, with Aysima Altınok who obtained her specialization in 1959. Nevertheless, Yıldız Yalçınlar, one of the pioneers, remains relatively unknown. METHODS & RESULTS In this paper, we witness Yıldız Yalçınlar's journey, from her graduation from Ankara Medical Faculty in 1954 and her subsequent specialization in general surgery to her arrival in Iğdır as a young surgeon in the early 1960s, where she faced cultural challenges. We explored her transition into neurosurgery, becoming the second neurosurgeon in Turkey in 1965. We examine her complex career progression from receiving her specialization in neurosurgery to her academic journey toward becoming a department chief and her role as one of the founding members of the Turkish Neurosurgery Association. CONCLUSIONS In Turkey, the number of women practicing as neurosurgeons has increased consistently. Despite this upward trend, the representation of women in the field of neurosurgery remains disproportionately low. We hope that Yıldız Yalçınlar's achievements, which began in the early 60s, will encourage women today and contribute to the continuing growth of neurosurgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selin Bozdag
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kastamonu Training and Research Hospital, Kastamonu, Turkey.
| | - Hasan Kamil Sucu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Izmir Katip Celebi University Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Silan Yildirim
- School of Medicine, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey
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The Current State of Neurosurgery in Iceland. World Neurosurg 2022; 167:28-36. [PMID: 36028110 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.08.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although surgical conditions account for 32% of the global burden of diseases, approximately 5 billion people worldwide lack access to timely and affordable, surgical and anesthetic services. Disparities in access to surgical care are most evident in low- and middle-income countries, often resulting from a lack of surgical infrastructure. However, the establishment of surgical infrastructure, particularly for specialty surgical services including neurosurgery, is challenging in countries with small populations, irrespective of income classification, due to the distribution of high costs among a lesser number of individuals. One such nation is Iceland. Despite high-income status, high quality of life, literacy, and educational attainment, the population of Iceland has often lacked access to local neurosurgical care, with the establishment of the domestic neurosurgical system in 1971 and continued externalization of complex neurosurgical procedures to neighboring nations and neurosurgeons. METHODS A narrative review was conducted. RESULTS This article provides the first-ever examination of neurosurgery in Iceland. We discussed the history and the social, political, and economical contexts in Iceland. We examined the history of neurosurgery in Iceland, which provided brief biographic sketches of pioneers who have catalyzed the establishment of neurosurgical care and training in Iceland, and characterize the current state of neurosurgery in Iceland. CONCLUSIONS Recommendations derived from the experiences of Icelandic neurosurgeons may guide the international community in future initiatives.
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McAlpine H, Drummond KJ. Editorial. The 156-year journey to gender parity in neurosurgery: are we surprised? J Neurosurg 2022; 138:1085-1086. [PMID: 35932274 DOI: 10.3171/2022.5.jns22769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Heidi McAlpine
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville.,2Department of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville; and
| | - Katharine J Drummond
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville.,3Department of Surgery, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Lambrianou X, Tasiou A. Women Pursuing a Neurosurgical Career in Greece. World Neurosurg 2022; 164:270-275. [PMID: 35577203 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Traditionally, neurosurgery constitutes one of the most male-dominated scientific fields owing to several factors, including social stereotypes, nonequal opportunities for higher education, and historical circumstances. Currently, with the increasing number of women in neurosurgery all over the world, this stereotype seems to be slowly but steadily disappearing. Since 1989, Women in Neurosurgery has played a vital role in introducing and promoting talented women in neurosurgery and highlighting contributions of women to academic society and medical leadership worldwide. In Greece, although the majority of men neurosurgeons accept the idea of women entering their field, the role of women seems to remain minor, especially in academic neurosurgery. In this article, we present a brief history of Greek neurosurgery, with an emphasis on the first women neurosurgeons and their contribution to neurosurgery in Greece. We have outlined the role of Greek women neurosurgeons in neurosurgical leadership through their active involvement in the administration of national and international neurosurgical societies. Furthermore, we have attempted to explore the underrepresentation of women in the Greek academic neurosurgical community and to determine whether it is associated with lurking gender discrimination or deep-rooted social prejudice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xanthoula Lambrianou
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Anastasia Tasiou
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
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Hariz M, Eröss L, Hariz GM, Eröss B, Cif L, Blomstedt P, Agid Y. Judith Balkányi-Lepintre (1912-1982): first woman neurosurgeon, first woman war neurosurgeon, and first woman pediatric neurosurgeon in France. J Neurosurg 2022; 136:1465-1469. [PMID: 34715655 DOI: 10.3171/2021.7.jns211035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Recently, a series of historical reports portrayed the first women neurosurgeons in various countries. One such woman, a pioneer on many levels, remained unrecognized: Judith Balkányi-Lepintre. She was the first woman neurosurgeon in France, the first woman war neurosurgeon for the French Army, and the first woman pediatric neurosurgeon in France. Born in 1912 to a Hungarian Jewish family, she graduated with honors from medical school in Budapest in 1935, then moved to Paris where she started neurosurgical training in 1937 at L'Hôpital de la Pitié under the mentorship of Clovis Vincent, the founder of French neurosurgery. Shortly after marrying a French colleague in 1940, she had to escape the Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo) in Paris and ended up in Algeria, where she joined the French Army of De Gaulle. As a neurosurgeon, she participated in the campaigns of Italy and France between 1943 and 1945. After the war, she returned to work at La Pitié Hospital. In 1947, she defended her doctoral thesis, "Treatment of cranio-cerebral wounds by projectiles and their early complications." Soon thereafter, she joined Europe's first dedicated children's hospital, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades in Paris, and contributed to the establishment of pediatric neurosurgery in France. She remained clinically and academically active at Necker until her death in 1982 but was never promoted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwan Hariz
- 1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- 2UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, United Kingdom
| | - Loránd Eröss
- 3Department of Functional Neurosurgery and Center of Neuromodulation, National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Budapest
| | - Gun-Marie Hariz
- 1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Laura Cif
- 5Department of Neurosurgery, CHU Montpellier; and
| | - Patric Blomstedt
- 1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Yves Agid
- 6Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), Salpêtrière, Paris, France
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Zeitlberger AM, Baticam NS, Sprenger L, Tizi K, Schaller K, Stienen MN. Gender disparity in neurosurgery: A multinational survey on gender-related career satisfaction. BRAIN AND SPINE 2022; 2:100890. [PMID: 36248166 PMCID: PMC9560587 DOI: 10.1016/j.bas.2022.100890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Women continue to be underrepresented in the majority of surgical specialties, including neurosurgery. Research question In this multinational survey, we aimed to assess current gender disparities in neurosurgery focusing on job satisfaction and inequity/discrimination at work. Material and methods Female and male members of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies were asked to complete an electronic survey (Google Forms, Mountain View) containing demographic baseline data and questions on attitudes regarding gender disparity, personal experience with gender inequity and career satisfaction/work-life balance. Quantitative analyses were performed to analyse the responses, including summary and comparative statistics. Results We received 168 responses from 40 different countries. Survey responders had a mean age of 40.8 ± 11.5 years; 29.8% were female. There were significant more male than female residents and attending surgeons per department. Eighty-eight percent of female and 38.1% of male responders experienced gender inequity or discrimination at work (adjusted OR 10.8, 95%CI 4.2–27.8, p<0.001). Female neurosurgeons were more likely to be discriminated by colleagues (aOR 4.32, 95%CI 2.1–9.1, p<0.001) and by patients/relatives (aOR 3.65, 95%CI 1.77–7.54, p<0.001). There was a trend towards lower job satisfaction (p=0.012), less satisfaction with career goals (p=0.035) and worse work-life balance (p=0.0021) in female surgeons. Discussion and conclusion This survey underlines that a significant proportion of neurosurgeons – in particular females – continue to experience gender inequity & discrimination at work, which may translate into lower work-related satisfaction. A better understanding of the gender-related aspects of job satisfaction is an important step to improving gender equity in our profession. Women continue to be underrepresented in clinical and academic neurosurgery. The most common source of discrimination are patients/relatives and colleagues. Women generally report lower job satisfaction in neurosurgery. Progress towards gender equity has been made in the last decade.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nalla Silva Baticam
- Department of Neurosurgery, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lima Sprenger
- Department of Neurosurgery, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Karima Tizi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Karl Schaller
- Department of Neurosurgery, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Martin N. Stienen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kantonsspital St.Gallen, St.Gallen, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. Department of Neurosurgery Kantonsspital St.Gallen, Rorschacher Str. 95, 9007, St.Gallen, Switzerland.
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Hernández-Durán S, Drummond K, Karekezi C, Murphy M, Nejat F, Zanon N, Rosseau G. International Women in Neurosurgery. Adv Tech Stand Neurosurg 2022; 45:1-33. [PMID: 35976446 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-99166-1_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The history of women in neurosurgery worldwide has been characterized by adversity and hardships in a male-dominated field, where resilient, tenacious, and ingenious women have nevertheless left their mark. The first women in neurosurgery appeared in Europe at the end of the 1920s, and since then have emerged in all continents in the world. Women neurosurgeons all over the globe have advanced the field in numerous directions, introducing neurosurgical subspecialties to their countries, making scientific and technical advances, and dedicating themselves to humanitarian causes, to name a few. The past 30 years, in particular, have been a period of increasing involvement and responsibility for women in neurosurgery. We must now focus on continual system improvements that will promote a diverse and talented workforce, building a welcoming environment for all aspiring neurosurgeons, in order to advance the specialty in the service of neurosurgical patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Hernández-Durán
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
- European Association of Neurosurgical Societies, Diversity Task Force, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Katharine Drummond
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Claire Karekezi
- Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Surgery, Rwanda Military Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Mary Murphy
- Victor Horsley Department of Neurosurgery, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - Farideh Nejat
- Tehran University of Medical Science, Children's Medical Center, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nelci Zanon
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- CENEPE Centro de Neurocirurgia pediátrica (Pediatric Neurosurgical Center), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gail Rosseau
- Department of Neurosurgery, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
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Lambrianou X, Tzerefos C, Janssen IK, Mihaylova S, Aydin AE, Al-Ahmad S, Broekman MLD, Gazioglu N, Duran SH, Ivan DL, Karampouga M, Magnadottir HB, Pajaj E, Rodríguez-Hernández A, Rosseau G, Salokorpi N, Tsianaka E, Vayssiere P, Murphy M, Tasiou A. Gender differences in work-life balance of European neurosurgeons. BRAIN AND SPINE 2022; 2:101100. [PMID: 36248165 PMCID: PMC9562249 DOI: 10.1016/j.bas.2022.101100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xanthoula Lambrianou
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Christos Tzerefos
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Insa K. Janssen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stiliana Mihaylova
- Clinic of Neurosurgery, Sv. Ivan Rilski University Hospital, Medical University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | | | - Selma Al-Ahmad
- Neurosurgery Department, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield, UK
| | - Marike LD. Broekman
- Department of Neurosurgery, Haaglanden Medical Center and Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Nurperi Gazioglu
- Istinye University, Medical Faculty, Department of Neurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Daniela Luminita Ivan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Bucharest Emergency University Hospital, Carol Davila University of Medicine, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Maria Karampouga
- Neurosurgery Department, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Ermira Pajaj
- Department of Neurosurgery, Spitali Rajonal Memorial Fier, Fier, Albania
| | - Ana Rodríguez-Hernández
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gail Rosseau
- Department of Neurosurgery, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Niina Salokorpi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland and Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Medical Research Center, Oulu University, Oulu, Finland
| | - Eleni Tsianaka
- Neurosurgery Department, International Hospital, Salmiya, Kuwait
| | - Pia Vayssiere
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mary Murphy
- Department of Neurosurgery, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, UK
| | - Anastasia Tasiou
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
- Corresponding author. Department of Neurosurgery, Building A, 3rd Floor, University Hospital of Larissa, Biopolis, Larissa, 41110, Greece.
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