Sulcus in human brain named after renowned neurosurgeon Yaşargil

ZURICH

A previously unnamed region in the human brain will now bear the name of late world-renowned Turkish neurosurgeon Professor Dr. Mahmut Gazi Yaşargil, who was widely hailed as the “Neurosurgeon of the Century.”

The announcement was made during a special symposium to celebrate Yaşargil’s 100th birthday, held as part of the World Academy of Neurological Surgery (WANS) collaboration conference in Zurich, Switzerland.

Turkish Consul General in Zurich Fazlı Çorman, Turkish neuroscientists and several international figures attended the event, which honored Yaşargil’s life and legacy just weeks after his passing at the age of 99.

Speaking at the event, Professor Dr. Uğur Türe, head of the Neurosurgery Department at Yeditepe University Hospitals, noted that nearly every region of the human brain has an anatomical name, except for one.

That region, a structure once described by Yaşargil himself as the “unnamed brain sulcus,” he said, will now be known as the “Yaşargil Sulcus.”

With this development, his name and contributions will endure forever in the field of neurosurgery, Türe noted.

Yaşargil, who passed away on June 10, was regarded as one of the most pioneering figures in modern neurosurgery.

He was best known for developing microneurosurgical techniques that revolutionized the treatment of brain diseases and for inventing the “Yaşargil clip,” a widely used tool in aneurysm surgery.

His innovations enabled safer and more effective surgeries for conditions such as epilepsy and brain tumors, fundamentally changing how neurosurgical procedures are performed worldwide.

In recognition of his contributions, he was named the "Neurosurgeon of the Century" at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons in 1999.

In June last year, the “Yaşargil Microneurosurgery Academy” was established in his honor with the participation of leading neurosurgeons from around the world.