Highlight of Program (1): Akira Hakuba Memorial Session

Plenary Symposium “Akira Hakuba Memorial Session”

Akira Hakuba

Date: Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Time: 9:40 - 10:25
Venue: Room A
Speakers: Prof. Kenji Ohata
Prof. Madjid Samii
Prof. Osama Al-Mefty

The organizing committee of 7th WFSBS decided to inaugurate a scientific session in honor of Prof. Akira Hakuba. He was one of pioneers in skull base surgery, who had developed the transposal approach, the orbitozygomatic approach and the cavernous sinus surgery.

Hakuba attended Osaka City University in Osaka, Japan, and graduated from its Medical School in 1962. He spent the 1966-1972 academic years in USA, where he was profoundly influenced by some of the greatest minds in surgery as well as neurosurgery. One of his supervisors and mentors was Leonard Malis. Malis’s surgical technique, which emphasized gentle tissue handling, precise hemostasis, and attention to minute details, profoundly influenced Hakuba.

After completing the Residency program under the direction of Malis, Hakuba started neurosurgical practice at Osaka City University Hospital. In his career, Hakuba made many original contributions to neurosurgery, notably in the realm of skull base surgery and spine surgery. Hakuba launched skull base surgery as a distinct discipline and firmly established it as a separate specialty of neurosurgery. “Clivus Meningioma: Six Cases of Total Removal” in Neurologica medico-chirurgica (1977) was his first step to being a consummate neurosurgeon. He developed “Surgical Approaches to the Cavernous Sinus” in 1982. He was the first to develop the surgical technique of “Transpetrosal-Transtentorial Approach”. “The Orbitozygomatic Infratemporal Approach” was introduced as a new surgical technique in 1986 by Hakuba.

In his lifetime, Akira Hakuba was a cheerful and invigorating presence that it was easy to forget what historic tasks in neurosurgery he accomplished himself. Hakuba was a dedicated teacher as well as a tireless neurosurgeon. The Akira Hakuba Memorial Session will be held to award personalities who significantly contribute to the development of skull base surgery.

Kenji Ohata
Congress President, 7th WFSBS

Curriculum vitae of Prof. Akira Hakuba

5.5.1934 Born in Nara as second child of great father, Buddhist priest
1957-61 Osaka City University Medical School
1962-63 Surgical Resident, Yodogawa Christian Hospital
1963-66 Neurosurgical Resident, Yodogawa Christian Hospital (Dr. Shi Hui Huang)
1966-67 Internship, Cambridge City Hospital
1967-68 Surgical Resident, Buffalo General Hospital
1968-69 Neurosurgical Resident, New England Medical Center Hospital
1969-69 Chief Resident, Boston Veterans Administration Hospital
1970-70 Chief Resident, New England Medical Center Hospital (Profs. Poppen, Hoesler, Selverstone, Yuan)
1971-72 Chief Resident, Mount Sinai Hospital (Prof. Malis)
1972-73 Clinical Assistant, Osaka City University (Prof. Nishimura)
1973-78 Assistant Professor, Osaka City University
1991-00 Professor & Chairman, Osaka City University
1993 8th Annual Meeting of Japanese Society of Spinal Surgery
1993 1st Cadaver Dissection Course in Japan
1994 1st International Workshop on Surgery of the Intracranial Venous System
1999 International Meeting on Skull Base Surgery & Neurosurgical Techniques Tools
11th Annual Meeting of Japanese Society for Skull Base Surgery
8th Annual Conference on Neurosurgical Technique s and Tools
11.20.2004 Exit at age of 70

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