Walter Dandy

Walter E. Dandy (born Walter Edward Dandy 1886 in Sedalia, Missouri; died 1946) was an American neurosurgeon. He is credited with the development of air encephalography in 1918, a major breakthrough in brain imaging which set the basis for the development of neuroradiology. He was the first surgeon to do a hemispherectomy on humans in 1923.

Walter Dandy graduated from college at the University of Missouri - Columbia and medical school in 1910 from Johns Hopkins University. After medical school he performed research in the Hunterian Laboratory under Harvey Cushing from 1910-1911. Dandy went on to train in surgery at Johns Hopkins under William Halsted from 1911-1919.

After the departure of Harvey Cushing and George Heuer in 1912 and 1922, respectively, Dandy became the only remaining neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and remained at the school for 28 years.

In 1913 Dandy and Kenneth Blackfan published a paper on the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the cause of hydrocephalus. He went on to make such contributions as pneumoencephalography, total surgical excision of a vestibular schwannoma (aka acoustic neuroma); treatments for trigeminal neuralgia, Meniere's disease, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, surgical clipping of aneurysms; and surgical removal techniques of pineal gland.

Although many outsiders believed Dandy to be bad tempered and dictatorial, especially in the operating room, he was loved by his residents and patients. He was known never to charge patients that did not have money to pay and was even known to help his patients pay for expenses of coming to Baltimore for treatment.

In honor of Dr. Dandy, the University Hospital, in Columbia, MO, has dedicated the neurosurgical intensive care unit to Dr. Dandy.

Dandy’s Brain Team
Dandy's Brain Team was the nickname of Dandy's neurosurgical team at Johns Hopkins in the 1940s.

The team consisted of Dr. Dandy, a resident, assistant resident, general surgery intern, scrub nurse, assistant scrub nurse, circulating nurse, two nurse anesthetist and a hospital attendant. The team was best known for their efficiency and intense work ethic.

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