The Canadian connection: A brief history of small vessel extracranial–intracranial bypass surgery in Canada

Vancouver General Hospital has a rich neurosurgical history; however, little is documented of the role the institution played in the history of extracranial to intracranial (EC–IC) bypass as a surgical therapy. A review of the literature on the history of cerebrovascular neurosurgery was performed to augment a comprehensive personal interview provided by Dr Sydney Peerless to provide a new insight into the journey towards our contemporary understanding of bypass surgery. Along this timeline, we outline key historic figures and their contributions, as well as document the first small vessel EC–IC bypass at Vancouver General Hospital in western Canada.