Neurosurgical Complications: Forgive and Remember

Neurosurgical complications are unfortunately unavoidable events in our field. Notwithstanding the potentially devastating effect they can have on patients' lives, young neurosurgeons may equally feel devastated by their occurrence and find themselves poorly equipped emotionally to handle them. There is a significant literature discussing the psychological repercussions of these events. This special article, written in essay format, is simply a brief overview of the seasoned author's personal approach to complication avoidance and management, with an emphasis on the behavioral aspects and humane dimensions of our profession. The younger trainee may find value in the ideas and emotions expressed here, and the seasoned neurosurgeon may well identify with the author's thoughts.