Abstract
The last 10 years, neuro-endovascular treatment has been widely accepted and is becoming more popular, both because devices have become more developed and because the treatment is supported by evidence.
Our neurosurgical department at Asahikawa Medical University Hospital exists in a city with a population of 360,000. Although the department has had two physicians with Japanese neuro-endovascular board certification for 10 years, both of them were absent for two years (between 2007 and 2009).
We divided a recent 10-year period into two periods: when the endovascular physicians were present and when they were not to investigate clinical activities and practical operations such as the number of treatments, surgical time and number of admissions.
The total number of operations was 1,871. The period when the neuro-endovascular physicians were there (60 months) had 916 cases, and the other periods (78 months) had 955 cases. The number of cases of neuro-endovascular treatment was 145 and 41, respectively. During the period with the physicians, not only the total number of endovascular treatments, but also the average monthly case volume of all neurosurgical operations increased significantly. The surgical time for cerebral aneurysm and cervical carotid stenosis was significantly shorter with endovascular treatment than open surgery.
The existence of neuro-endovascular physicians increases the efficiency of neurosurgical treatment and stimulates department activity.
