John Peter Mettauer (1787–1875) was an American
surgeon
In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...
and
gynecologist
Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined area ...
. He was the son of surgeon Francis Joseph Mettauer.
Biography
John Peter Mettauer was born in
Prince Edward County, Virginia
Prince Edward County is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,849. Its county seat is Farmville.
History
Formation and county seats
Prince Edward County was formed in the Virginia Colony in ...
in 1787.
He was a pupil at
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden Sydney is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince Edward County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,450 at the 2010 census.
Hampden Sydney is the home of Hampden–Sydney College, a private all-male college that is the tenth- ...
, followed by studies at the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
, where he obtained his medical doctorate in 1809. In 1837 he founded a private medical school located between
Prince Edward Court House and
Kingsville, Virginia. In 1847 he allied his school with
Randolph-Macon College, becoming the first medical department at Randolph-Macon.
Mettauer is remembered for his development of innovative surgical practices. Along with his two sons, he trained many physicians at his private medical school. In the 1838, he performed the first successful repair of
vesicovaginal fistula
Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) is a subtype of female urogenital fistula (UGF).
Presentation
Vesicovaginal fistula, or VVF, is an abnormal fistulous tract extending between the bladder ('' vesica'') and the vagina that allows the continuous involu ...
in America. He is also given credit for performing the first
cleft palate
A cleft lip contains an opening in the upper lip that may extend into the nose. The opening may be on one side, both sides, or in the middle. A cleft palate occurs when the palate (the roof of the mouth) contains an opening into the nose. The te ...
operation in the Americas (1827).
[
Mettauer also designed and developed his own ]surgical instrument
A surgical instrument is a tool or device for performing specific actions or carrying out desired effects during a surgery or operation, such as modifying biological tissue, or to provide access for viewing it. Over time, many different kinds of ...
s, some of which are on display at the Esther Thomas Atkinson Museum at Hampden-Sydney College. Also, The John Peter Mettauer Award for Excellence in Research is a prestigious award issued by Hampden-Sydney College.
He died from kidney disease at his home in Prince Edward County on November 22, 1875.
References
Innovative Plastic Surgeons
(biography)
External links
A sketch of Dr. John Peter Mettauer of Virginia
by George Ben Johnston
American surgeons
American gynecologists
1787 births
1875 deaths
Randolph–Macon College faculty
Hampden–Sydney College alumni
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni
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