A Legacy of Partnership: NNI Featured at the Bolivian Society of Neurosurgery’s 50-Year Celebration

It was a tremendous honor for Solidarity Bridge’s Neurosurgery & Neurology Institute (NNI) to be invited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bolivian Society of Neurosurgery (BSN) and participate in its XXII Congress, in La Paz, Bolivia during their visit at the end of August. 

The week-long academic celebration began with a two day “official pre-Congress” practical course for residents and early career doctors on neuroendoscopy and CSF shunt management, organized by the NNI and the Department of Neurological Surgery of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

NNI partners participated actively throughout the Congress: Papers on pediatric neurosurgery were presented on the first day by Dr. Carolina Sandoval from the University of Minnesota, Dr. Jorge Brun from the Children’s Hospital La Paz, and Dr. Victor Lu from the University of Miami, and NNI doctors also delivered three master plenary talks.

Dr. Bermans Iskandar, from the UW-Madison delivered the first of those talks on “Endoscopic VP Shunt Surgery and Research to Optimize Shunt Function”. One of the pediatric neurosurgeons commented on the value of Dr. Iskandar’s research for low-and-middle income countries (LMICs) - which demonstrates that low-cost shunt valves provide similar results to patients, compared to higher priced valves on the market. 

Later, Dr. Robert Dempsey presented “New Concepts in Residency Training and Postgraduate Cerebrovascular Neurosurgical Education,” where he highlighted the role of partnership with colleagues, governments, and societies, to push for better stroke response and care. He encouraged all to strive for excellence and to be persistent in calling for national stroke plans, as stroke is the second cause of death, and the third cause of disability in LMICs. 

Dr. Dempsey, in his role as Chair of the Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery (FIENS), also highlighted the need for mutual learning and collaboration between neurosurgeons. He recognized the success of the Bootcamp program, first held in Bolivia in 2015, and organized in collaboration with Solidarity Bridge. The Bootcamp aimed to improve neurosurgical resident education in Bolivia  through collaborative lectures, case discussions, and hands-on training. Local and international doctors collaborated together to share knowledge and skills with residents. This was the first time FIENS took a US program to another country, and due to its success, they have since replicated that model of working around the world. 

In his presentation titled "Neurosurgical Oncology: Where Global Innovations Meet Local Reality," Dr. Richard Moser reflected on his 40 years as a neurosurgeon, using his discussion on gliomas as a focal point. Dr. Moser began his talk by sharing the picture of a patient who was discharged in 1985 after surgery to treat an ependymoma. He told the audience that the patient had sent him the picture two years ago, 35 years after the surgery that saved his life, with a thank you note “for a job well done”. Dr. Moser invited the neurosurgeons, and everyone present in the room, to have an inquiring mind, saying “we should go to bed every night and wake up every morning asking ourselves ‘is there a better way’? …We live in this world together, we must engage with our neighbor, with our country, with the world - and we should be trying to make the world a better place.” 

Dr. Moser went on to argue that a career in neurosurgery is about clinical excellence, the inquiring mind, and humanitarian engagement.  He reiterated the importance of  previous talks that called for continual vigilance as medical professionals on upholding high ethical standards and professionalism. 

Dr. Moser spoke about the NNI as an important collaboratory in the region that brings together various institutions to unite in a shared mission to improve public health.  He went on to invite the Bolivian community of neurosurgeons to develop a national vision for brain tumor treatment; emphasizing  that they would not be alone in the process. 

His words echoed those of Dr. Martin Aliaga, President of the Bolivian Society of Neurosurgery, who expressed his gratitude to international colleagues, particularly acknowledging the role of collaboration in advancing neurosurgery in Bolivia. Dr. Aliaga presented Solidarity Bridge with a book on the history of neurosurgery in Bolivia, which  also chronicles Solidarity Bridge’s contributions to it, in recognition of their dedication to the country’s neurosurgical education and unique training methodology.

NNI also participated in a conversation focused on neurosurgery residency training in Bolivia, where academic directors from residency programs across the country gathered to discuss challenges and opportunities. The BSN remains committed to enhancing neurosurgical care through partnerships with key organizations like the NNI, ensuring that Bolivia’s neurosurgical community continues to thrive.

This Congress not only marked a historic milestone for Bolivian neurosurgery but also solidified the importance of collaboration and shared learning across borders. Focusing on enhancing the skills of the next generation of neurosurgeons and neuro medical professionals through international collaboration will ultimately increase access to complex, life-changing surgeries for the most vulnerable in the region.