Neurosurgery of Bosnia and Herzegovina is in good hands.
Prof. Ph.D. Kenan Arnautović, one of the students of the generation, could not get a permanent job at Koševo for years, and today he is one of the leading neurosurgeons in the world
Interviewed by: Edina Kamenica
A few days ago, the book "Spinal Cord Tumors," published by Springer, one of the world's two most famous medical publishing houses, was promoted at the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The authors are prof. Ph.D. Kenan I. Arnautović, from Sarajevo who lives and works in the USA, and prof. Ph.D. Ziya L. Gokaslan, Turkish with an American address. Prof. We asked Arnautović to explain why the biggest names in the world of neurosurgery declared this book unique.
A logical choice
- After the absence of literature on the subject for several decades, this book represents comprehensive reading on the field of spinal cord tumors. That was my main motive to turn to this topic. How did you choose the co-author, Prof. . Gokaslana, who is considered the world leader of spinal surgery? - Dr. Gokaslan, a top neurosurgeon, was born in Turkey, graduated from Istanbul Medical School, and completed his residency at Baylor College of Medicine Houston. After specialization and subspecialization in spinal surgery in New York, he returned to Houston, became chief of neurosurgery, and established spinal oncology. From Houston, he moved to Johns Hopkins University, where he is the head of the Department of Spinal Surgery. After 13 years, he became the head of the Clinic for Neurosurgery at Brown University in Rhode Island in Pubmed. It's an impressive career, and I thought it would be good to enrich the book with the experience of such a co-author. He gladly joined this, as the Americans say, "professional child" of mine. He is very well known; he is the author of four books in this field; he is in more than 200 works cited in Google Scholar and 150 works cited in Pubmed. His scientific work is fascinating.
The reviewers of the book are big names from the world of neurosurgery: professor Osama al-Mefty, the leader of microsurgery in the world, and professor Foley, the world leader of spinal surgery. Who gave the book the highest marks?
- I always had the desire to write a book that would be the best possible, indeed the best in the world, both in terms of content quality, graphic design, chapter authors, and reviewers. I wanted them to be experts in microsurgery and spinal surgery, and there were no better ones than the two mentioned. Prof. Ph.D. Al-Mefty is also one of my great friends and role models; he was so happy when he saw how the book would look, and he was very happy to accept the offer. Dr. Foley has been my partner for 17 years in the office. That was, by the way, in my wider range of activities, within which I founded, together with Prof. Mirsad Hadžikadić, the Bosnian-Herzegovinian-American Academy of Sciences and Arts (BHAAS), so here we are talking about a larger number of projects, which interpenetrate each other and whose main goal is to improve neurosurgery in Sarajevo, BiH, and the Balkans.
All these people have solid careers behind them, as do your mentors. How did your relationship start?
- In my native Sarajevo, I graduated from the Faculty of Medicine and specialized in neurosurgery, part of which I spent in Hanover. I worked at Koševo as a specialist neurosurgeon, but not permanently. I remember well that time, in which I was a volunteer for three or four years, which is common in our country, and which was not easy to bear. And, in the end, when the war broke out and many people left Sarajevo, I was hired as a permanent employee. It hurts... And I was second among the students of my generation, and I always wanted to deal with the most delicate part of medicine, so neurosurgery was a logical choice. And I fought. Having received an invitation to come to America near the end of the war, I did not plan to stay, but somehow I proved successful and productive in writing projects. I completed a residency in neurosurgery and a sub-residency in skull base surgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, under the mentorship of highly respected neurosurgeons. They accepted me as their student, and over time I became their collaborator and colleague. Then I moved to Memphis, becoming head of the Baptist Institute for Neurosurgery.
When I hear about that professional and life loyalty and closeness, I can't help but think that our doctors are more often in the courtroom than in the operating room or behind the chair.
- I am sincerely saddened by that. I have been working with colleagues from Sarajevo for 15 years; four of them, prof. Ph.D. Ibrahim Omerhodžić, prim. Ph.D. Eldin Burazerović, prim. Ph.D. Avdulah Hasanagić, and prof. Ph.D. Mirza Bišćević, and Adi Ahmetspahić, a young resident doctor, were in Memphis as my sub-residents. And not only them, there are also about thirty young doctors from the entire region, whose work I am very proud of when I see how they are progressing and how successful they are. I have always been in favor of building bridges, and I am very proud of that.
What does the book bring new in relation to the treatment of spinal cord tumors?
- First of all, I would like to thank academician Prof. . Ph.D. Lidija Lindcender-Cvijetić, who recognized the quality of the book. The first promotion was two months ago in Belgrade, at the World Congress of Neurosurgeons, and should be in Zagreb in July, also at HAZ. The book itself is the most modern setting of spinal cord tumor treatment, from the radiological aspect, where Prof. . Ph.D. Zulejha Merhemić created one chapter out of 26 of them, whose authors are the most eminent experts. There is also the pathological aspect, then the neurological aspect, then the aspect of all tumors individually. And Prof. . Ph.D. Vedran Deletis is the author of one of those chapters. It is the progenitor of new methods of intraoperative neurophysiology that prevent damage to the nervous system during neurosurgical or orthopedic operations.
Scientist or Charlatan
- And I, as the father of the project, took over six of them. By the way, as authors, I chose people who are among the most recognized in the world and who have vast experience, and a wonderful amalgam was created. I am also very happy that IK Springer first approached me about this project. The book has already been downloaded 5,000 times, as it has a printed and online version, and it also includes intro-operative video clips, which is the latest approach in journalism.
Is it possible to apply the latest discoveries in this field in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
- I think that neurosurgery in Bosnia and Herzegovina, just to take into account the mentioned doctors, is in good hands. If they are allowed to develop further, to enrich themselves with knowledge every day, if they are surrounded by a healthy environment, BH. neurosurgery should not worry about the future.
How do you manage to be the director of the international program of the American Association of Neurosurgeons, editor and board member of about 10 journals, reviewer...?
- You must have, as the Americans say, a passion for what you do and give yourself to it with your heart. You have to enjoy everything you do. I never do anything by halves. I learned a lot from the big names, so I realized that they make mistakes too. I also studied them. You can't be a leader with the best book in the world if it isn't. You have to publish articles in the best magazines in the world if you want to be read by everyone. Not all of my works are there, but my goal is to have as many of them there as possible. By the way, someone can say whatever he wants about himself, but today it is enough to type his name and surname into, say, Google Scholar and see if he is a real scientist or a charlatan. Only ignorant people can be deceived, and those who allow it. (https://mojabih.oslobodjenje.ba/)
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