The Belgian Society for Neurosurgery
- Data on neurosurgical practice in Belgium
In 2021, there were 218 active neurosurgery consultants in Belgium, of whom 211 below 65 years of age. Density is 0.2 per 10,000 inhabitants. Also in 2021, 72 trainees in neurosurgery were registered. Neurosurgery is practiced in 55 hospitals on the nation’s territory. While the national health insurance (NIDHI), hospital finance and healthcare organization are federal matters, prevention and quality are community matters governed by the Flemish, French-speaking and German-speaking communities. There are 2 separate board certification entities for neurosurgery: a Flemish and a French-speaking.
- The Belgian Society for Neurosurgery
The Belgian Society for Neurosurgery (BSN; www.bsn.be) was officially founded in 1961, following several years of informal scientific meetings since the mid-fifties by the handful of neurosurgeons in Belgium. These neurosurgeons had a substantial contribution in the International Congress of Neurological Sciences in Brussels in 1955, where they are said to have played a role in the creation of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies. In 1957 the first International Congress of Neurological Surgery was held in Brussels. Of note, 50 years later, Jacques Brotchi was WFNS president from 2005 to 2009.
Over the years, the BSN has involved from a small society to a vibrant community. In 2023, the BSN has 132 full members, 78 junior members and 12 international members. The BSN withstood the tendency to split into a Flemish and French-speaking society, as was done in several other medical specialties, and could always maintain its unity. Until the late nineties, members spoke their own language with slides in English at the annual meeting. However, with both language communities becoming more fluent in English, most presentations nowadays are held in English, and also the language for board meetings and member communication is mostly English now.
The BSN organizes an annual 1 day meeting in Spring, at which abstracts are presented and lectures are given by invited speakers. In 2023, a well-attended 2 day meeting was held for the first time, and in which also discussion rounds and update lectures were given. The plan is to continue with the latter format, since it allows for more interaction with the overall community. The BSN has a traditional strong bond with the professional society (Groupement Belge de neurochirurgie, Belgische Vereniging voor Neurochirurgie) that defends neurosurgical interest in the Belgian healthcare consultation committees, and is active member of the EANS, the WFNS and the Spine Society of Belgium (with orthopedic surgeons and physical medicine specialists active in spine care).
Since the late nineties, the BSN has created several sections, in which enthusiast members focus on a subspecialty for guideline development, scientific meetings, consultation rounds and educational activities. Currently, a spine section, vascular and skull base section, functional and stereotactic section, pediatric section and trainee section have been created, and the BSN has a delegate in the Belgian Association for NeuroOncology (BANO).
The BSN offers several grants and prizes to stimulate its young members in research and high level clinical output: the annual Helaers Research Prize for Neurosurgery, the annual spine prize, best oral presentation and best poster prizes associated with the meeting and the recently established BSN Clinical Multicenter Grant.
BSN presidents:
- 2022-2025 Bart Depreitere
- 2019-2022 Michaël Bruneau
- 2016-2019 Johan van Loon
- 2013-2016 Benoit Pirotte
- 2010-2013 Dirk Van Roost
- 2007-2010 Didier Martin
- 2004-2007 Frank Van Calenbergh
- 2001-2004 Claude Gilliard
- The BSN and the EANS
The BSN was a founding member of the EANS in 1971 and several Belgians contributed to its history, throughout the years. It is no coincidence that the administrative seat of the EANS is still on a Belgian address. Jean Brihaye was EANS president from 1979 to 1983. Luc Calliauw was editor-in-chief of Acta Neurochirurgica from 1994 till 2002, and was consecutively EANS secretary, vice-president and honorary president. Johan van Loon is current EANS secretary (2019-2023), and there are two Belgian section chairs: Michaël Bruneau (Skull Base Section, 2019-2023) and Bart Depreitere (Trauma Secxtion, 2021-2023).
In 2018, the EANS Annual Congress came to Belgium for the first time. It was held in Brussels under the congress presidency of Michaël Bruneau.
The most recent Belgian TC delegates were
- 2011-2015 Jan Verlooy
- 2016-2019 Dirk Van Roost
- 2020-onwards Michaël Bruneau
To date, 66 Belgian neurosurgeons are active individual member of the EANS.
