Dr. Helmut Bertalanffy is Professor of Neurological Surgery and Director of the Center for Vascular Neurosurgery at the International Neuroscience Institute, Hannover, Germany. He received his neurosurgical training from the Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, where he completed with honors a Medical Doctorate in 1986 and obtained the qualification as board certified neurosurgeon in 1990.

Dr. Bertalanffy spent more than 2 years from 1990 to 1992 at the Department of Neurosurgery of the Keio University, Tokyo, Japan, as a Scientific Fellow of the Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation, Bonn, Germany, and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan, working in the fields of cerebral and spinal microcirculation and skull base surgery.

He served as vice chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery of the Technical University of Aachen, Germany from 1992 to 1997. The Friedrich-Wilhelm Foundation of the Technical University of Aachen honoured Dr. Bertalanffy with the “Friedrich-Wilhelm” Prize in 1994 given annually for outstanding scientific work.

In 1997 Dr. Bertalanffy was appointed to Professor on a permanent basis by the State of Hessen, Germany, and served as Professor and Chairman of the Depart­ment of Neurosurgery of the Philipps University of Marburg for 10 years. In July 2007 he was appointed to Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery of the University of Zurich, Switzerland, where he served three and a half years in that position. In November 2010 he accepted the new position of Director of the Center for Vascular Neurosurgery at the prestigious International Neuroscience Institute in Hannover, Germany.

Dr. Bertalanffy is frequently invited to meetings or congresses as guest speaker or to visiting professorships worldwide and has made significant contributions to developments in skull base surgery and microsurgery of vascular lesions of the brain and spinal cord.

Dr. Bertalanffy is a member of the German and Swiss Societies of Neurosurgery, the German Academy of Neurosurgery, the American Academy of Neurological Surgery (corresponding member), the World Academy of Neurosurgery, the Skull Base and the Nominating Committees of the World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (former Chairman of the Nominating Committee), the International Advisory Board of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Academia Eurasiana, and an honorary member of the Romanian Society of Neurosurgery.

He is the Editor-in-Chief of the scientific journal Neurosurgical Review and lends his expertise to the Editorial Boards of Neurosurgery, Acta Neurochirurgica, Techniques in Neurosurgery, Neurologia Medico-chirurgica and Zentralblatt für Neurochirurgie.

Dr. Bertalanffy has published over 150 articles in peer reviewed journals, contributed over 50 book chapters or other articles to medical texts, and presented more than 300 lectures as visiting professor or at various congresses and symposia worldwide. He is married and has 2 daughters.

1: Bertalanffy H. Avoidance of postoperative acute cerebellar swelling after pineal tumor surgery. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2016 Jan;158(1):59-62. doi: 10.1007/s00701-015-2624-0. Epub 2015 Oct 31. PubMed PMID: 26521265.

2: Bertalanffy H, Gerganov VM. Microsurgical or radiosurgical management of intracranial cavernomas. Acta Neurochir Suppl. 2013;116:103-6. doi: 10.1007/978-3-7091-1376-9_16. PubMed PMID: 23417466.

3: Bertalanffy H, Tissira N, Krayenbühl N, Bozinov O, Sarnthein J. Inter- and intrapatient variability of facial nerve response areas in the floor of the fourth ventricle. Neurosurgery. 2011 Mar;68(1 Suppl Operative):23-31; discussion 31. doi: 10.1227/NEU.0b013e31820781fb. PubMed PMID: 21206320.

4: Bertalanffy H, Bozinov O, Krayenbühl N. Retraction. Notice of double reporting. Neurosurg Rev. 2009 Apr;32(2):253. doi: 10.1007/s10143-009-0192-6. PubMed PMID: 19225817.

5: Bertalanffy H. Supplementary comment on “Three-dimensional computed tomography angiography of the galenic system for the occipital transtentorial approach”. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo). 2005 Sep;45(9):491. PubMed PMID: 16195654.

6: Bertalanffy H, Mennel HD, Benes L, Riegel T, Aboul-Enein H. Isolated paramedullary hemangioblastoma originating from the first cervical nerve root: case report. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2003 May 15;28(10):E191-3. PubMed PMID: 12768157.

7: Bertalanffy H, Benes L, Miyazawa T, Alberti O, Siegel AM, Sure U. Cerebral cavernomas in the adult. Review of the literature and analysis of 72 surgically treated patients. Neurosurg Rev. 2002 Mar;25(1-2):1-53; discussion 54-5. Review. PubMed PMID: 11954761.

8: Bertalanffy H, Sure U, Petermeyer M, Becker R, Gilsbach JM. Management of aneurysms of the vertebral artery-posterior inferior cerebellar artery complex. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo). 1998;38 Suppl:93-103. PubMed PMID: 10234986.

9: Bertalanffy H, Gilsbach JM, Mayfrank L, Klein HM, Kawase T, Seeger W. Microsurgical management of ventral and ventrolateral foramen magnum meningiomas. Acta Neurochir Suppl. 1996;65:82-5. PubMed PMID: 8738503.

10: Bertalanffy H, Gilsbach JM, Mayfrank L, Kawase T, Shiobara R, Toya S. Planning and surgical strategies for early management of vertebral artery and vertebrobasilar junction aneurysms. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 1995;134(1-2):60-5. PubMed PMID: 7668130.

11: Bertalanffy H, Yamaguchi N, Ishikawa M, Kawase T, Toya S. A new model for in vivo observation of the feline spinal microcirculation: the closed spinal window. Neurosurgery. 1994 Feb;34(2):316-21; discussion 322. PubMed PMID: 8177393.

12: Bertalanffy H, Bechtel S, Seeger W. Regional exposure of cerebral convexity lesions. Neurochirurgia (Stuttg). 1993 May;36(3):81-6. PubMed PMID: 8321383.

13: Bertalanffy H, Kawase T, Toya S. In vivo effect of visible light on feline cortical microcirculation. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 1993;121(3-4):174-80. PubMed PMID: 8512016.

14: Bertalanffy H, Kühn G, Scheremet R, Seeger W. Indications for surgery and prognosis in patients with cerebral cavernous angiomas. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo). 1992 Aug;32(9):659-66. PubMed PMID: 1383853.

15: Bertalanffy H, Mitani S, Otani M, Ichikizaki K, Toya S. Usefulness of hemilaminectomy for microsurgical management of intraspinal lesions. Keio J Med. 1992 Jun;41(2):76-9. PubMed PMID: 1619851.

16: Bertalanffy H, de Vries J. Management of cerebellar infarction with associated occlusive hydrocephalus. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 1992;94(1):19-23. PubMed PMID: 1321693.

17: Bertalanffy H, Seeger W. The dorsolateral, suboccipital, transcondylar approach to the lower clivus and anterior portion of the craniocervical junction. Neurosurgery. 1991 Dec;29(6):815-21. PubMed PMID: 1758590.

18: Bertalanffy H, Gilsbach JM, Eggert HR, Seeger W. Microsurgery of deep-seated cavernous angiomas: report of 26 cases. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 1991;108(3-4):91-9. PubMed PMID: 2031478.

19: Bertalanffy H, Kretzschmar H, Gilsbach JM, Ott D, Mohadjer M. Large colloid cyst in lateral ventricle simulating brain tumour. Case report. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 1990;104(3-4):151-5. PubMed PMID: 2251945.

20: Bertalanffy H, Eggert HR. Complications of anterior cervical discectomy without fusion in 450 consecutive patients. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 1989;99(1-2):41-50. Review. PubMed PMID: 2667284.

Bertalanffy H, Eggert HR. Clinical long-term results of anterior discectomy without fusion for treatment of cervical radiculopathy and myelopathy. A follow-up of 164 cases. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 1988;90(3-4):127-35. PubMed PMID: 3354360.