The Clinic of Neurosurgery at the Clinical Center of Serbia in Belgrade—Building on the Past

Neurosurgery as an independent discipline in Serbia has a distinguished history, beginning in 1938 when Dr. Milivoje Kostic, Professor and Chairman of Surgery, opened the Department of Neurosurgery within the Clinic of Surgery in Belgrade. Since then, thanks to the founding fathers' efforts and their successors' work, the Clinic for Neurosurgery in Belgrade has become a highly specialized health, scientific, and educational institution that is part of the University of Belgrade and is a referral center for all neurosurgical clinics in Serbia. Currently, the Clinic for Neurosurgery, with 160 patient beds, is one of the largest European institutions of its kind. Neurosurgery at the Clinical Center of Serbia (CCS) involves a wide range of patients and resources, with an average daily inpatient census of 15 to 20 patients. Each year, there are more than 3000 admissions at the neurosurgical service. Approximately 3500 operations per year are performed in the main campus neurosurgical operating rooms of CCS, while approximately 15,000 patients alone are evaluated in emergency room or inpatient consultations. Despite economic restraints, the department continues to grow in strength, and we remain optimistic of exciting times ahead for neurosurgery at the CCS.