Father Of Surgery

Various individuals have advanced the surgical art and, as a result, have been called the father of surgery by various sources.

Maharishi Sushruta

Sushruta, or ''Suśruta'' (Sanskrit: सुश्रुत, IAST: ''Suśruta'', lit. 'well heard') was an ancient Indian physician. The '' Sushruta Samhita'' (''Sushruta's Compendium''), a treatise ascribed to him, is one of the most important surviving ancient treatises on medicine and is considered a foundational text of Ayurveda. The treatise addresses all aspects of general medicine, but the impressive chapters on surgery have led to the false impression that this is its main topic. The translator G. D. Singhal dubbed Suśruta "the father of surgery" on account of these detailed accounts of surgery.

Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi

The Arab physician Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi (936-1013) wrote '' Al-Tasrif'' (The Method of Medicine), a 30-part medical encyclopedia in Arabic. In the encyclopedia, he introduced his collection of over 200 surgical instruments, many of which were never used before. Some of his works included being the first to describe and prove the hereditary pattern behind hemophilia, as well as describing ectopic pregnancy and stone babies. He has been called the "father of surgery".

The 14th century French surgeon Guy de Chauliac quoted Al-Tasrif over 200 times. Abu Al-Qasim's influence continued for at least five centuries after his death, extending into the Renaissance, evidenced by al-Tasrif's frequent reference by French surgeon Jacques Daléchamps (1513-1588).

Guy de Chauliac

The Frenchman Guy de Chauliac (c. 1300–1368) is said by the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' to have been the most eminent surgeon of the European Middle Ages. He wrote the surgical work '' Chirurgia magna'', which was used as a standard text for some centuries. He has been called the "father of modern surgery".

Ambroise Paré

The French surgeon Ambroise Paré (1517–1590) worked as a military doctor. He reformed the treatment of gunshot wounds, rejecting the practice, common at that time, of cauterizing the wound, and ligatured blood vessels in amputated limbs. His collected works were published in 1575. He has been called the "father of modern surgery".

Hieronymus Fabricius

The Italian anatomist and surgeon Hieronymus Fabricius (1537–1619) taught William Harvey, and published a work on the valves of the veins. He has been called the "father of ancient surgery".

John Hunter

The Scotsman John Hunter (1728–1793) was known for his scientific, experimental approach to medicine and surgery. He has been called the "father of modern surgery".

Philip Syng Physick

The American surgeon Philip Syng Physick (1768–1837) worked in Philadelphia and invented a number of new surgical methods and instruments. He has been called the "father of modern surgery".

Joseph Lister

The Englishman Joseph Lister (1827–1912) became well known for his advocacy of the use of carbolic acid (phenol) as an antiseptic, and was dubbed the "father of modern surgery" as a result.

Theodor Billroth

The German Theodor Billroth (1829–1894) was an early user of antisepsis, and was the first to perform a resection of the esophagus, and various other operations. He has been called the "father of modern surgery".

William Stewart Halsted

The American William Stewart Halsted (1852–1922) pioneered the radical mastectomy, and designed a residency training program for American surgeons. He has been called "the most innovative and influential surgeon the United States has produced", and also the "father of modern surgery".

James Henderson Nicoll

The Scottish James Henderson Nicoll (1863–1921) pioneered a surgical cure for Pyloric stenosis and outpatient care of children with Spina bifida, and was known as the ''Father of Day Surgery''.

Gallery

File:Susruta. Pen drawing. Wellcome V0006619.jpg, Susruta
File:Al-Zahrawi-cropped.png, Al-Zahrawi
File:GuyDeChaulhac.jpg, Guy de Chauliac
File:Ambroise Paré.jpg, Ambroise Paré
File:Girolamo Fabrizi d'Acquapendente.jpg, Hieronymus Fabricius
File:John Hunter by John Jackson.jpg, John Hunter
File:Philip Syng Physick.jpg, Philip Syng Physick
File:Joseph Lister.jpg, Joseph Lister
File:Theodor Billroth - Project Gutenberg eText 14097.png, Theodor Billroth
File:William Stewart Halsted Yale College class of 1874.jpg, William Stewart Halsted

See also

* List of people considered father or mother of a scientific field

References

{{reflist

History of surgery
Surgery