World Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (WSSFN)

The definition of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery was debated formally for the first time, in 1973 during the first meeting of the World Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (Philip L. Gildenberg). Since this period, general neurosurgery has made great progress influenced by new technical developments (minimal-invasive surgery, image-guided surgery, neuronavigation, radiosurgery, frarneless brain biopsy, etc).

On the other hand, many particular topics remained within the frame of the special field of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery (for example movement disorders surgery, pain surgery, CNS drug-infusion, cell therqay, etc). Within this context an appropriate contemporary definition of Stereotactic and Functional Neursurgery is sougit for. The following definition is a synthesis and a consense after discussion among a group of experts.