The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association focused on advancing the specialty of neurological surgery. The organization has over 8,000 members around the world. It is one of the five Continental Associations of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS), the other four being the AASNS, CAANS, EANS and FLANC.[2]
Founded in 1931, the AANS was originally known as the Harvey Cushing Society, named for the brain surgery pioneer Harvey Cushing. The creation of the society was spurred initially by R. Glen Spurling and William P. Van Wagenen[3] who, with Cushing, acknowledged the need for a venue in which younger neurosurgeons could exchange ideas on the specialty. Membership to the Society of Neurological Surgeons, the specialty's key organization during this period, was closed to younger men at this time. Spurling and Van Wagenen enlisted the help of Temple Fay and R. Eustace Semmes in the creation of the group, and on May 6, 1932, the Harvey Cushing Society held its first meeting in Boston.[3] Twenty-three people attended, many of whom were Cushing's colleagues and neurosurgical trainees.
Other charter members of the society were Gilbert Anderson, Paul C. Bucy, W. Edward Chamberlain, Leo M. Davidoff, Louise Eisenhardt, Edgar Fincher, John F. Fulton, W. James Gardner, William J. German, Franc D. Ingraham, Franklin Jelsma, Edgar Kahn, Roland Klemme, James G. Lyerly Sr., Eric Oldberg, Tracy Putnam, Frederic Schreiber, Merril C. Sosman, and Frank R. Teachenor.
Significant datesedit
1942 – The AANS adopts new bylaws requiring active members to be certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS).
1967 – At its annual meeting in San Francisco, the Harvey Cushing Society changes its name to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). The group also revamps its membership requirements, now noting that only board-certified neurosurgeons could be considered for active membership. Associate memberships are available for those in related neurological disciplines. This same year, the William P. Van Wagenen Fellowship is established to provide educational funding to medical students.
1988 – The United States Postal Service issues an official Harvey Cushing stamp on June 17 as part of its "Great Americans" 45-cent stamp collection.[4]
Membershipedit
The AANS is composed of board-certified neurosurgeons from around the world as well as medical students, neurosurgical support staff, and physicians in associated fields of practice.
Legislative advocacyedit
Throughout its history, the AANS has taken stances on a number of key legislative issues affecting neurosurgical professionals and their patients. Efforts include patient safety and quality improvement, tort reform, and issues relating to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. In addition to a professional staff office in Washington, D.C., the AANS maintains a member-driven Washington Committee to advocate for a number of causes. Washington staff maintains the Neurosurgery Blog which highlights the latest legislative activities affecting health care and the neurosurgical specialty.
Publicationsedit
Since 1944, the AANS has published the Journal of Neurosurgery. In addition, the quarterly AANS Neurosurgeon focuses on "issues related to legislation, workforce and practice management."[5] Each issue is centered on different themes, and past themes include humanitarian neurosurgery, neurosurgeons as patients, stereotactic radiosurgery, and neurovascular neurosurgery.
Patient information and public outreachedit
On its website, the AANS presents information relevant to patients regarding a number of neurosurgical ailments and treatments. In addition to its efforts during National Neurosurgery Awareness Week (which is held in conjunction with the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting and heightens public awareness on topics such as stroke), the AANS also spearheads Neurosurgery Outreach Month every August, touting the importance of concussion and head-injury prevention at the start of a new school year and season for student athletes.
Educationedit
The AANS offers its members a number of educational opportunities, mostly through courses held around the country at various times of the year. Topics include practice management, oral board preparation, maintenance of certification, and resident education. Course offerings also extend to mid-level practitioners such as nurses and physician assistants.
Annual meetingedit
The AANS has held an Annual Scientific Meeting every year since its 1932 inception except twice; in 1945 due to World War II, and in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 meeting was exclusively virtual, also due to the pandemic.
Neurosurgical Research and Education Foundationedit
Established by the AANS in 1981, the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation provides funding for training in the neurosciences and support for career neurosurgeons. Through grants and awards, it supports medical students, residents and young neurosurgical faculty in conducting basic science, patient-oriented, clinical and outcomes research, as well as outcomes studies that protect and support neurosurgical procedures for all practicing neurosurgeons. It also funds North American and international fellowships in all neurosurgical subspecialties.[7][8]
Neuropoint Allianceedit
As an effort led by the AANS with cooperation of other organized neurological associations, the Neuropoint Alliance was founded in 2008 to collect, analyze, and report clinical data from neurosurgical practices. Services include clinical trial management, study design, and survey facilitation.[9] Its first nationwide effort was the National Neurosurgery Quality and Outcomes Database.[10][11]
AANS Award Winnersedit
The AANS presents several major awards each year during the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting, honoring the lifetime contribution of members for their surgical, scientific and humanitarian accomplishments.[12]
Cushing Medaledit
1977 Frank H. Mayfield, MD
1978 William H. Sweet, MD
1979 Henry G. Schwartz, MD
1980 Paul C. Bucy, MD
1981 Bronson S. Ray, MD
1982 W. James Gardner, MD
1983 Guy L. Odom, MD
1984 Eben Alexander Jr., MD
1985 Francis Murphey, MD
1986 Lyle French, MD
1987 William F. Meacham, MD
1988 Charles G. Drake, MD
1989 Lester A. Mount, MD
1990 Robert B. King, MD
1991 William F. Collins, MD
1992 W. Eugene Stern, MD
1993 Sidney Goldring, MD
1994 Byron C. Pevehouse, MD
1995 Richard DeSaussure, MD
1996 Shelley N. Chou, MD, PhD
1997 Robert G. Ojemann, MD
1998 Albert L. Rhoton Jr., MD, FAANS
1999 David J. Kelly Jr., MD, FAANS
2000 Russell H. Patterson Jr., MD
2001 Julian T. Hoff, MD
2002 Edward R. Laws Jr., MD, FAANS
2003 Stewart B. Dunkser, MD, FAANS
2004 John A. Jane Sr., MD, PhD, FAANS
2005 Martin H. Weiss, MD, FAANS
2006 David G. Kline, MD, FAANS
2007 Robert G. Grossman, MD, FAANS
2008 Charles B. Wilson, MD, FAANS
2009 Edward H. Oldfield, MD, FAANS
2010 Roberto C. Heros, MD, FAANS
2011 A. John Popp, MD, FAANS
2012 Donald O. Quest, MD, FAANS(L)
2013 Jon H. Robertson, MD, FAANS
2014 Troy M. Tippett, MD, FAANS(L)
2015 Arthur L. Day, MD, FAANS
2016 Ralph G. Dacey Jr., MD, FAANS
2017 Robert F. Spetzler, MD, FAANS
2018 James R. Bean, MD, FAANS
2019 James T. Rutka, MD, PhD, FAANS
AANS Distinguished Service Awardedit
1993 Roy W. Black, Codman & Shurtlett, Vice President
1994 William A. Buchheit, MD, FAANS
1995 Charles Edwin Bracket, MD, FAANS
1996 Robert E. Florin, MD, FAANS
1997 Ernest W. Mack, MD
1998 Mark J. Kubala, MD, FAANS
1999 W. Ben Blackett, MD, JD, FAANS
2000 George Ablin, MD
2000 Robert H. Wilkins, MD, FAANS
2001 Frank P. Smith, MD
2002 Donald H. Stewart Jr., MD, FAANS
2003 John A. Jane Sr., MD, PhD, FAANS
2004 Troy M. Tippett, MD, FAANS
2005 John A. Kusske, MD, FAANS
2006 John C. Van Gilder, MD
2007 Mary Louise Sanderson
2008 Peter W. Carmel, MD, FAANS
2009 In Memory Of Samuel J. Hassenbush, MD, PhD
2010 Katie O. Orrico
2011 Thomas A. Marshall
2012 James R. Bean, MD, FAANS
2013 Ralph G. Dacey Jr., MD, FAANS
2014 Sir Graham Teasdale, FRCP
2015 Kim J. Burchiel, MD, FAANS
2016 Blas Ezequiel Lopez Felix, MD, FAANS
2017 Volker K.H. Sonntag, MD, FAANS(L)
2018 Robert E. Harbaugh, MD, FAANS, FACS
2019 M. Ross Bullock, MD, PhD
AANS Humanitarian Awardedit
1987 Courtland H. Davis Jr., MD, FAANS
1988 Gaston Acosta-Rua, MD
1989 Hugo V. Rizzoli, MD
1990 A. Roy Tyrer Jr., MD
1991 George B. Udvarhelyi, MD
1992 William H. Mosberg Jr., MD
1993 Manuel Velasco-Suarez, MD
1994 E. Fletcher Eyster, MD, FAANS
1995 Melvin L. Cheatham, MD, FAANS
1997 Robert J. White, MD
1998 Lee Finney, MD,
1999 Thomas B. Flynn, MD, FAANS
2000 Merwyn Bagan, MD, MPH, FAANS
2001 Gary D. Vander Ark, MD, FAANS
2002 Edgar M. Housepian, MD, FAANS
2004 Charles L. Branch Sr., MD,FAANS
2005 Tetsuo Tatsumi, MD, FAANS
2006 Gene E. Bolles, MD, FAANS
2007 Benjamin C. Warf, MD, FAANS
2008 Robert J. Dempsey, MD, FAANS
2009 Armonando J. Basso, MD, PhD
2010 Timr Banerjee, MD, FAANS
2011 Barth A. Green, MD
2012 A. Leland Albright, MD, FAANS(L)
2013 Mark Bernstein, MD, FAANS
2014 Anselmo Pineda, MD, FAANS(L)
2015 Michael M. Haglund, MD, PhD, FAANS
2016 Karin M. Muraszko, MD, FAANS
2017 John Ragheb, MD, FAANS
2018 Jack P. Rock, MD, FAANS
2019 David I. Sandberg, MD, FAANS
AANS Cushing Award for Technical Excellence and Innovation in Neurosurgeryedit
2013 Edward H. Oldfield, MD, FAANS
2014 Robert H. Rosenwasser, MD, FAANS
2015 Ossama Al-Mefty, MD, FAANS
2016 L. Dade Lunsford, MD, FAANS
2017 Fady T. Charbel, MD, FAANS
2018 John R. Adler, Jr., MD, FAANS
2019 Kevin T. Foley, MD, FAANS
AANS International Lifetime Recognition Awardedit
2008 Jose Humberto Mateos Gomez, MD, FAANS(L), from Madrid, Mexico
2009 Albino Bricolo, MD, from Verona, Italy
2010 Shigeaki Kobayashi, MD, PhD, from Matsumoto, Japan
2011 Shigeaki Kobayashi, MD, PhD, from Matsumoto, Japan
2012 Leonidas M. Quintana, MD, IFAANS, from Vina del Mar, Chile
2013 Johannes Schramm, MD, from Bonn, Germany
2014 Nicolas de Tribolet, MD, from Geneva, Switzerland
2015 Andrew H. Kaye, MD, IFAANS, from Melbourne, Australia
2016 Edgardo Spagnuolo, MD, from Montevideo Uruguay
2017 André Grotenhuis, MD, PhD, IFAANS, from Nijmegen, Netherlands
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^ abMathews, Marlon S.; Linskey, Mark E.; Binder, Devin K. (2008-02-29). "William P. van Wagenen and the first corpus callosotomies for epilepsy". Journal of Neurosurgery. 108 (3): 608–613. doi:10.3171/JNS/2008/108/3/0608. ISSN 0022-3085. PMID 18312112.
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^"Spine Patient Data Gathering of the Future: Q&A With Drs. Anthony Asher and Matthew McGirt of N2QOD". Beckersspine.com. 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2014-05-31.