I like giving patients a chance to heal well

We started the conversation, as you might expect, with the brain and its fascinating abilities, gradually moving on to healthcare and the family clans of neurosurgeons. :-)

What was covered in the lecture?

• Why doctors often discuss longer during a herniated disc surgery than when removing a malignant tumor – 10:34
• Why almost no patient asks how much time they have left (and whether they would even want to know) – 26:40
• Why he insists on the idea that the Czech Republic has too many hospitals, even in the current difficult situation – 56:22
• How someone becomes one of the best in the world in their field (we recommend taking notes!) – 1:18:53

Who is Vladimír Beneš?

Professor Vladimír Beneš has served since 1997 as the head of the Neurosurgery Clinic at the 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and the Central Military Hospital. An interesting fact is that the neurosurgical craft runs in the Beneš family — the professor’s father was also an excellent surgeon, and his son is following the same professional path. The book “My journeys into the depths of the brain,” which is a transcript of the professor’s interviews with Martin Moravec, also significantly contributed to the recognition of Vladimír Beneš’s name and sold out very quickly.

He also draws attention with his unconventional and straightforward opinions, which he isn’t afraid to share in the media. Among his greatest achievements, he counts the presidency of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies and explaining to his wife that he can’t do anything at home because he’s clumsy. In his free time, he pursues entomology (often with Oldřich Kaiser) and teasing Jan Pirk about his heart, calling it a “stupid pump.”