Innovative Neurosurgery: the first year

Abstract

The first year is coming to an end. As expected, there have been skeptical people. Fortunately, there has been also an at least equally big group of active supporters of the journal. Many high-quality reviews, original articles, and technical notes have been submitted despite the awareness of a lacking impact factor or MEDLINE listing in this critical first year. Thank you authors for your trust. Based on your great work we will soon be able to apply for it. As expected, there have been some technical problems at the beginning. Fortunately, all could be solved immediately. Currently, all processes are running as designed and smoothly. Concerning the editorial board, none of the associated editors were really experienced in that field but all took up their duties right away without muttering but with great motivation, confidence, and success. Thank you editors for your invaluable work. You gave the journal a face. As expected, the advisory board performed really well and quick. No buts! Since the peer review process is the heart of any scientific journal and sentence over success or failure, this distinct group of people all over the world really pushed the journal forward. Thank you reviewers for your great contribution. Last but not least, the publishers need to be mentioned. All of us were really pleased by your competence, unlimited support, and generosity. One example is to enable open access to the full text articles within the first 2 years. This really helps and makes the difference. Thank you publisher for the opportunity. Innovative Neurosurgery surely has proven to be innovative by many outstanding articles such as the unique and new description of intracranial arachnoid membranes based on endoscopic anatomy or first experiences with a true optical 3D HD endoscope in Neurosurgery or near-infrared fluorescence image-guided intracranial tumor resection. In addition, comprehensive reviews on minimal-invasive and endoscopic Neurosurgery have been published by worldwide recognized opinion leaders. Examples are contributions on – transcranial endoscope-assisted skull base surgery, transsphenoidal endoscopic skull base surgery, and innovations in surgical treatment of gliomas. But Innovative Neurosurgery also wants to become innovative in terms of new publication formats. Therefore, we are currently working on a format that is supposed to demonstrate innovative management strategies for standard care in a variety of neurosurgical indications in an educative way. For next year we are currently planning a special issue on “Innovative Young Scientists in Neurosurgery”. This shall serve the purpose to give outstanding young scientists in the field of Neurosurgery a forum to be recognized as such, to create a platform for exchanging knowledge and building up cooperation as well as motivating others to follow in their footsteps. A subsequent column on “Innovative Young Scientists in Neurosurgery” will keep to the journal’s vanguard target. Being involved in many teaching courses for minimalinvasive and endoscopic techniques as well as in numerous meetings focused on the future of Neurosurgery, I have to presume that we still have a long way to go for these techniques becoming the standard of care in Neurosurgery. But I strongly believe, that we only reach that goal by scientifically proving the superiority or at least equality of minimal-invasive strategies compared with current microsurgical techniques. With the introduction of 3D-HD endoscopes into Neurosurgery we are for the first time able to come close to the image quality of current operating microscopes, the gold standard for visualization of the last and present century. However, launching a new technique is much more than presenting a new visualization tool. It includes instrumentation, compatibility with other important innovative technologies, comprehensible concepts, and of course clinical experience. Only then it will find acceptance in the majority of the Neurosurgical community and finally will be successful. Innovative Neurosurgery wants to be part of this process by motivating all of you to submit your innovative work with the goal to build up an appropriate body of knowledge in the best of scientific means. Join in!