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REPORT ON AN ACADEMIC VISIT TO IRAN
I was a participant in the NIKI trip to Iran in April 2008. We visited three universities during my 12-day travel: Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran and the
Universities of Tabriz and Arak. As a subspecialist neurosurgeon, my main interests were the treatment of patients with neurological and neurosurgical problems and the facilities available to them in Iran.
In Tehran, I visited the Shohada Hospital where the neurosurgical services at Shahid Beheshti University were located. The unit provided a wide range of neurosurgical expertise, including stereotaxy. Because of recent embargoes and costs, however, some of the programmes such as deep brain stimulation for movement disorders were less readily available. Interventional neuroradiology particularly for the treatment of cranial aneurysms and vascular malformations also required further development. I was impressed to see the Gamma Knife facilities in Tehran. A large number of patients were being treated.
In Tabriz, I had the opportunity to deliver a day of lectures on neuro-oncology and functional neurosurgery as well as having several meetings with the residents and the faculty. There were two main university hospitals with neurosurgical departments in Tabriz, one primarily concerned with trauma and the other with more elective neurosurgery. I took part in ward rounds, saw patients and also performed surgery during my stay. There is scope for further development in Tabriz and for example stereotaxy is an area where I agreed to provide support by accepting a faculty member/ resident to attend my department each year, as an observer for 3-6 months, to learn stereotaxy and become familiar with our neurosurgical practise in the UK.
Our activity in Arak was primarily academic and centred around lectures and scientific discussions. After returning to Tehran, I was kindly invited to attend the annual meeting of the Iranian Surgical Society where I delivered two lectures as well as meeting and exchanging ideas with fellow surgeons and neurosurgeons.
Overall the NIKI trip worked very well in bringing close the medical and scientific expertise available inside and outside Iran. I think the impact was greater outside Tehran where naturally the needs were more acute and therefore the scope for help the greatest. I will certainly be more than happy to continue my collaboration with NIKI with the aim of mutual learning and advancement between the medical/ scientific community in Iran and that abroad.
