Skull base surgery program of the Republic of Cuba: establishing a demanding subspecialty in a developing country.

The history of the founding of the Cuban Skull Base Surgery Group is reported. Under the author's supervision and coordination, the group has managed more than 100 major skull base cases over a 6-year period. The mortality rate was 13% and the rate of permanent morbidity was 23%. In the last 2 years, the mortality rate decreased to 8%. These results reflect the group's enthusiasm pitted against the obvious challenges associated with economic constraints. The present experience may be instructive for neurosurgeons interested in exporting their expertise, with the goal of helping colleagues in developing countries to broaden their professional experience.