About Us
The IESS was officially founded in the year 2020 in Vienna. It is the first international society dedicated to epilepsy surgery. The society has evolved from the Epilepsy Surgery Techniques Meeting (ESTM) initiative with the inaugural meeting in Gotenburg 2014, followed by meetings in Prague 2016 and Vienna 2018. The meetings were held as satellite meetings to the European Congress on Epileptology and different from many other meetings on epilepsy in the world at that time, they specifically addressed various aspects of epilepsy surgery techniques. During the Vienna meeting the organizing committee of the ESTM decided to move forward and develop from an initiative to a full society. In May 2021 the society had the inaugural meeting of all founding board members.
Our Vision
To be a well recognized, internationally operating organization aimed to be a relevant partner in the health care of people with epilepsy who might be candidates for epilepsy surgery.
Our Mission
The IESS pursues a closure of the treatment gap of potential epilepsy surgery candidates through scientific exchange, promotion and education of the surgical aspects in the treatment of epilepsy. We constitute an overarching body of authority of our subspecialty by joining forces between the numerous sections and divisions of functional neurosurgery within many neurosurgical societies worldwide. To act as a strong and equivalent partner to our colleagues from neurology and all other specialties involved in the treatment of epilepsy patients.
IESS founding board members
President: Christian Dorfer, MD
Associate Professor, Vice-Chair
Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna
Vice-President: Karl Roessler, MD
Full Professor, Chair
Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna
Secretary: Bertil Rydenhag, MD
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Department of Neurosurgery, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
Vice-Secretary: Guy McKhann, MD, PhD
Department of Neurological Surgery
Columbia University Medical Center New York, New York.
Treasurer: Arthur Cukiert, MD
Professor, Chair
Neurology and Neurosurgery Clinic Sao Paolo,
Clinica Neurologica Cukiert
Vice-Treasurer: Jorge Gonzalez-Martinez, MD, PhD
Professor
Director, Epilepsy & Movement Disorders Program
Co-Director, University of Pittsburgh Epilepsy Center
Director, Cortical Systems Laboratory
Dennis Spencer, MD, Ma(hon), FACS, FAES
Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor, Emeritus
Chairman, Emeritus
Department of Neurosurgery
Co-Director Comprehensive Epilepsy Program
Yale University School of Medicine.
Takamichi Yamamoto, MD, MS, PhD, FAES
Vice Executive Director
Neurosurgeon
Seirei Hamamatsu General Hospital
Hamamatsu, Japan.
Faisal Alotaibi, MD, FACS
Professor of Neurological Surgery
Neuroscience Centre
King Faisal specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Alfaisal University
Riyadh, Saudi Arabis
Guoming Luan, MD, PhD
Department of Neurosurgery, Comprehensive Epilepsy Center,
Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University.
Sarat Chandra; MD
Professor
Department of Neurosurgery
All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
Mario Alonso Vanegas, MD
Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurology and
Neurosurgery, Medical Center ABC Santa Fe, Mexico City.
