Department of Neurosurgery,

University Hospital Center

“Mother Theresa” 372 Dibra street

Tirana, Albania

London, 25.02.2012

Anne Moore FRCS,

President

Society of British Neurological Sdurgeons.

Dear Miss Moore,

My name is Geldon Fejzo, a neurosurgery resident in the only department of Neurosurgery in Albania. I was invited by Mr. Henry Marsh to visit the Atkinson Morley Neurosurgical Department at St. George’s Hospital for a 6 week period, and my accommodation and other facilities were supported by a bursary of £2000 provided by the Society of British Neurological Surgeons.

The department of Neurosurgery in Albania has recently been able to acquire neurosurgical equipment, such as microscopes, endoscopes, neuronavigator etc, which has finally made possible better standards for interventions and patients’ outcome. Howoever, young Neurosurgeons need to see neurosurgery in departments in the western countries and my visit to Atkinson Morley’s has been of great benefit to me.

During my stay in AMH, I had the possibility to appreciate English neurosurgeons, and especially Mr Marsh’s experience with awake surgery in low and high grade gliomas but also in other lesions situated near eloquent areas, cervical foraminotomy, surgery of epilepsy etc. which are not yet performed in Albania and other operations with better outcomes, basically because of the greater experience, such as micro vascular decompression on trigeminal neuralgia and acoustic neurinomas with preservation of the facial nerve, a standard which is unfortunately not achieved in my country. Also the great use of Stealth neuronavigator helped me understand better the importance of this tool. And last but not least, I had a great lesson on team work, reciprocal respect and evidence based competence.

Consequently, I had a very important and intense experience during my stay in AMW and ask modestly to Mr. Henry Marsh and the Society of British Neurological Society to accept my sincere thanks for making this experience possible, hopefully this being the first step in further collaborations.

Yours faithfully,

Geldon Fejzo