Intraoperative Neuromonitoring(IONM) in India saw a relatively late start but by the year 2015, there were islands of serious competence located within the vast unknown which is what IONM was at that time! It was in the year 2011 that we began IONM on a very small scale tempted to get into the act by our spinal surgeons who had started using it for deformity surgery. In 2017, we gathered the courage to organize the very first ever Course in IONM at the Park Clinic in Kolkata. Some of the towering giants in the field kindly accepted my invitation to grace this Course and amongst them were David MacDonald from Saudi, Vedran Deletis from Croatia, Karl Kothbauer from Switzerland, Francesco Sala from Italy, Srinivas Babu from Vellore amongst others. This Course was attended by neurosurgeons, neurologists, physiologists, anaethetists and spine surgeons, and what an eye- opener it was to all of us who attended it ! It also emboldened us to successfully stage a repeat performance the very next year, except this time we added a section to showcase what we were doing in this country. Dr. Anandh Balasubramaniam agreed to be the torchbearer of the third Course in Hyderabad the following year.

Then descended on us the terrible pandemic, and for some years we were all caught up in the static frenzy of self-preservation. It was then we organized the longest series of zoom meetings on the subject ! All the speakers in the first three meetings pooled their talent and resources to make it happen! Many colleagues from India also chipped in !

There were many a request to form an Indian Society but I kept naming it “a group”, as I knew the problems of another neurosciences society and I feared being made some sort of an office-bearer should such a group form! And at the end of an academically superb meeting in Chennai in 2022, a Society was launched, and my fears of being kicked up the ladder to the post of President came true! Dr. V.R Roopesh Kumar perseverance means that we now have a registered Society with a pan card. It also means we can now hold our own annual meetings.

The first ever Course and meeting of this society is scheduled to be held in Kolkata from November 24 th to 26 th this year, and all our members we have gathered together-physiologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, spine surgeons, basic scientists, anaesthetists, and technicians- are requested to register as members . Under the umbrella of SION (Society for Intraoperative Neurophysiology), let us showcase to the world our achievements as a nation !

Neurosciences is growing at a rapid pace and so is the technology and innovations. The outcome of Neurosurgery remains the most important factor in any given circumstances and as Neurosurgeons, we have the responsibility of giving the best desired outcome to our patients. While anatomical knowledge has improved significantly with white matter tractography and navigation, the functionality of the nervous system remains the key factor in deciding the outcome. Intra operative Neurophysiology, thus serves us to achieve this by giving feedback to the surgeon on the integrity of nerves and in turn achieves better surgical outcome. This has helped in achieving safe maximal resection of tumors in eloquent brain, deep seated nuclei like thalamus, brain stem, skull base, spinal cord, correcting complex spinal anomalies and deformity surgery. The common goal of achieving this is through an integrated approach by Neurosurgeons, neurophysiologists, and neuro anesthesiologists. The aim of this society is to bring together the surgeons, clinicians and basic scientists and to facilitate growth of this specialty and improve the research to innovate new techniques. I hope and wish that this society grows by strength in the years to come.