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 {{US-physician-stub