Disclaimer: Please note that the audio quality in this podcast episode may not meet our usual high standards. We apologise for any inconvenience or frustration this may cause. Despite the subpar audio quality, we believe the information and insights shared in this episode are valuable and worth sharing with our audience. We have made every effort to enhance the audio quality during the editing process, but some imperfections may still be present. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to improve our production quality going forward. Thank you for listening and we hope you find the content of this episode to be informative and engaging. Neurosurgery is the surgical specialty managing structural diseases of the nervous system, including; the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system. In death, the ancient Egyptians knew their way into the central nervous system, with a process of excerebration. During the Roman Empire and subsequently the middle ages, surgeons performed neurosurgery on depressed skull fractures. As well as for the management of head injuries, skull fractures, spinal injuries, hydrocephalus subdural effusions, and headaches - although how successful we can only imagine.   The Incas practised a neurosurgical procedure known as trepanation, drilling a hole into the skull, well before European colonisation. However, now in the modern age, specialised branches of neurosurgery have developed to cater for an array of challenging conditions including:  Vascular neurosurgery includes clipping of aneurysms and performing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) Stereotactic neurosurgery, functional neurosurgery-including deep brain stimulation and epilepsy surgery Oncological neurosurgery for the treatment of benign and malignant central and peripheral nervous system cancers Skull base surgery Spinal neurosurgery (which we will focus on in our conversation today) Peripheral nerve surgery, and  Pediatric Neurosurgery  A quote I found from a neurosurgeon reads "...Neurosurgery seemed to present the most challenging and direct confrontation with meaning, identity, and death. Only the neurosurgeon dares to improve upon five billion years of evolution in a few hours. The human brain.” That said, please welcome neurosurgeon David Oehme to the conversation to introduce us to his special interests in neurosurgery, including the management of complex spine conditions with minimally invasive and keyhole techniques, as well as the treatment of brain tumours. We look forward to David guiding us through this fascinating specialty. References: Dr David Oehme: www.doneurosurgery.com www.nsa.org.au www.aans.org - Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery www.webmd.com - Back Surgery  To be a guest on the show or provide some feedback, I’d love to hear from you: [email protected]. Dr Luke Crantock MBBS, FRACP, is a gastroenterologist in practice for over 25 years. He is the founder of The Centre for GI Health, based in Melbourne, Australia, and is passionate about educating General Practitioners and patients on disease prevention and how to manage and improve their digestive health.