Vanity Problems in Neurosurgery
1. Publishing for prestige, not for purpose
Too many papers are written to score points, not to clarify.
Impact factor > clinical impact.
They’re designed to be cited — not understood.
2. Conferences as catwalks
Scientific meetings turn into branding shows.
More photos than thinking. More suits than debate.
Science becomes performance — with applause, not questions.
3. Operating for ego, not indication
Some surgeons chase complex cases for recognition, not necessity.
They confuse difficulty with merit — and patients become trophies.
4. Titles as armor
Academic rank is often used to protect weak ideas with strong CVs.
“I’m a professor” replaces “I have a point.”
Authority is mistaken for truth.
5. Teaching as a mirror, not a bridge
If you teach to be admired, not questioned, you’re educating your ego — not your students.
And when a resident is afraid to ask, there’s no education — only theater.
6. Visibility mistaken for value
The most active voice often overshadows the wisest.
We confuse volume with depth, and attention with credibility.
7. The inflated surgeon syndrome
When the OR feeds narcissism instead of judgment, the patient disappears from the center.
The scalpel stops being a tool — and becomes a trophy.
🧠 Bottom line:
Vanity is the most subtle infection in our profession.
It leaves no scar — but erodes judgment, corrupts science, and turns patients into means, not ends.
Only honest, critical, ego-free practice keeps us sharp.
And sharp — is the least we owe when operating on someone else’s brain.