To the Reader

 

This book is not intended for easy reading, but is written fo those who want to familiarize themselves with a new method of intraoperative imaging and a navigation tool in neuroendoscopy. Therefore, it starts with numerous laboratory cases, since it is the strong opinion of the author that it is only after gaining sufficient laboratory experience that the specialist can be suffuciently competent in applying tis new method in the operating room.

It might be quite tempting to try out this new method prematurely, but it is unsiutable for learning „by doing“ or by „trial and error“. Therefore, only prior knowledge of a sufficient number of „landmarks“ will enhance the professional´s „insight“, and this can easily be achieved in the laboratory, or at least by an ENS course (www.ens-surgery.com, link ENS-Course). Only then can this new tool be fully employed to let us reach beyond the current boundaries of our expertise. For the result-oriented reader, however, the major focus of interest will be in the third chapter of the bock: „Clinical Cases“.

The content of this book was compiled by the author between 1996 and 2002 at the university clinics of Mainz, Dresden and Greifswald and at the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Heidelberg.

Special credit is due to Prof. Dr. G. Schackert in Dresden, who agreed to complete the clinical series previously started in Mainz. Major credit also goes to Prof. Dr. A. Perneczky for his willingness to support this project exploiting previously uncharted territory; after his initial strong support overriding priorities compelled him to hand on the project to the present author. Prof. Dr. W. Kriz and Prof Dr. K. Tiedemann supported the project by hosting consecutive ENS courses.

My special thanks go to Messrs. ALOKA (Tokyo Japan) and Messrs. R. Wolf (Knittlingen, Germany) for technical support and for providing the necessary equipment.

Finally, I cannot omit to acknowledge the helpful assistance of all those who have contributed to the realization of this project, and especially Mrs. Heide Roesler (www.elsa-creativeartservice.de), who patiently prepared the sophisticated computer graphics and the cover design for the book. Special thanks also go to Dr. Otto R. Maas and Dr. Andrew Alcock for reviewing the draft and making numerous valuable suggestions on the proper presentation of the subject.

 

Greifswald, September 2005

Klaus Dieter Maria Resch