Eric Soehngen

After having spent a memorable and exciting month as a guest with Professor Hongo and his distinguished neurosurgical faculty at the Shinshu University Hospital in Matsumoto, I can very clearly say, that I have visited a place both rich in neurosurgical tradition as well as future potential and a hospitality towards foreign guests that can be rarely found elsewhere in the world!

Following the spirit of emeritus and worldly renowned leaders in Neurosurgery, former directors of this Neurosurgical Center, Professor Kenichiro Sugita and Professor Shigeaki Kobayashi, and today, Professor Kazuhiro Hongo and his highly active and capable team are keeping on spreading a remarkable and unique atmosphere of medical and technical innovation.

Being somebody with a great interest in technology and science myself, I found the greatest pleasure of my stay indeed in the invention and construction of a technical solution that allows us now to gain access to the patients neuroimaging data right from the operation microscope.?
After having spent an entire long weekend in the garage, constructing the above mentioned device, I was very glad that we could already use it for two neuro-oncological skullbase cases, in which it proved to be helpful and has the potential to make the surgical workplace more convenient and the surgical intervention more safe and precise.
A German Japanese publication about our work is now in progress.

With good memories in my mind I am heading back to Germany, but a good friendship has found its beginning here and I am looking forward to coming back to Japan in the near and far future.