The sitting position can be used safely in neurosurgery, if meticulous attention is given to the positioning and the monitoring of the patient during surgery. Venous air embolism remains the most frequent complication. Hypotension is the second complication. A rigorous patient selection of patients, the experience of the anesthesiologist and the neurosurgeon remain the main factors for the choice of the sitting position.L'experience du neurochirurgien et du neuro-anesthesiste, associee a une selection vigilante des patients, est un facteur essentiel a la surete de la position assise. L'embolie gazeuse peroperatoire reste la complication la plus frequente, pour laquelle toutes les mesures preventives n'ont pas encore apporte de solution fiable.