After completing medical school and obtaining a doctorate at the University of Zurich in Switzerland in 1973, Dr Hernesniemi returned to his native Finland to continue his general medical post-graduate studies and later neurosurgery in Seinäjoki, Tampere and Helsinki. Dr Hernesniemi also traveled abroad to learn from the best, including professors Yasargil and Drake. He first became a professor of neurosurgery at Kuopio University and in 1997 Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Helsinki University Central Hospital.

Over the years professor Hernesniemi performed over 10,000 neurosurgical operation, with 4000 aneurysm and AVMs and 2500 brain tumours. He has recorded some of his experience and observation in numerous scientific papers and book chapter, and he co-edited “Surgical Management of Cerebrovascular Disease” and “Surgery of Vertebrobasilar Aneurysms”.

Surgery is about operating and Professor Hernesniemi is a true Master of this art. Hence streams of neurosurgeons from around the world travel to Helsinki to observe the Master at work. For several years Professor Hernesmiemi has been running the Helsinki Live Demonstrative Course giving an opportunity to see him and invited masters operate. Professor Hernesniemi always considered the thorough knowledge of anatomy fundamental and, not surprisingly, his chapter “Principles of Microneurosurgery for Safe and Fast Surgery” in Dr Sindou’s “Practical Handbook of Neurosurgery” begins with a sentence: “Microneurosurgical anatomy and principles of microneurosurgery are the essence of neurosurgical training.”

Written by Thomas Santarius