History of Surgical Technology

Medical practice has developed and become more advanced throughout the centuries of human development. The development and understanding of surgical procedures and techniques has been no exception. Early surgical practices, though rudimentary, paved the way for modern surgery, and displayed the desires of even the earliest civilization to heal injuries.

Purpose

• Surgery was invented to heal injuries and traumas, or to correct imbalances in the body. A French surgeon named Ambroise Pare, who lived and worked in the 1500's, once said that the purposes of surgery were to "eliminate that which is superfluous, restore that which has been dislocated, separate that which has been united, join that which has been divided and repair the defects of nature" (see Reference 1). His reasons express the main purposes of surgery that had been practiced for centuries, though as our surgical technologies have advanced, other purposes of surgery have been discovered. Surgeries today can be elective or required, for health or superficial reasons. Modern surgery can also help to diagnose other conditions.

Ancient Surgery

• The ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, China, and India all practiced early versions of surgery.
  Trepanation is the oldest known surgical procedure, and archaeologists have found evidence of this procedure's performance in many regions of the ancient world. This unpleasant procedure involved drilling a hole into the skull of a person suffering from seizures, headaches, mental disorders, or an assortment of other ailments.
  Anasthesia was also discovered by ancient surgeons, and it is believed that alcohol or opiate based drugs were used as anasthesia for some early surgeries. The Aztec civilization is credited with discovering how to properly set a broken bone, and the dissections of dead bodies performed by ancient Greek surgeons contributed significantly to understanding of the human body.
  The Indian surgeon Sushruta, who was born around 600 BCE, is sometimes referred to as the "father of surgery" because of his extensive studies and contributions to the practice. Sushruta even invented the first form of cosmetic surgery, which involved taking a piece of skin from the forehead to reconstruct injured noses.

Medieval Surgery

• Surgical technology in the Medieval ages still relied largely on the techniques made by the ancient world, though some progress was made. The numerous and devastating wars of the Medieval ages gave surgeons the opportunity to develop surgical techniques to treat battlefield injuries.
  Surgical knowledge developed throughout the Islamic world, in such places as the Ottoman Empire. The surgeon Abulcasis developed surgical techniques by combining the teachings of Indian and Greek surgery with Islamic medical knowledge. His teachings helped influence European surgery during this time.
  In 1543, surgeon Andreus Vesalius started a medical revolution with his book "On the Fabric of the Human Body." He questioned some of the ancient surgical techniques, which helped to debunk some common misconceptions about the human body and surgical practice.

Industrial Age Surgery

• The questioning and revising of old techniques led to drastic improvements in the field of surgery, though there were still hurdles to overcome. For centuries, surgery patients died because of side effects of the surgeries, namely blood loss and infection. Effective techniques for stopping blood loss evolved during this time, such as the use of ligatures.
  In the 20th century, research led to the discovery of the different blood types, and doctors were able to successfully perform blood transfusions.
  Limiting the appearance of infections after a surgery began as people began to better understand the importance of cleanliness to health. Sterilization of surgical equipment became common practice, and surgeons were able to drastically decrease the possibility of infection after a surgery. This was especially helped by Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin, the first antibiotic drug, which has saved countless lives since its introduction to medicine.

Modern Surgery

• The modern age has seen step-change advances in surgical technology.
  Though civilizations had thought about the possibility of heart transplants for centuries, it wasn't until the 1960s that one was successfully completed.
  Computers and microchip technology have made it possible for surgeons to complete major surgeries with only a tiny incision. These procedures, called laparoscopic surgeries, utilize miniature video cameras, so the surgeon can make a small incision and see everything clearly on a monitor. This technique is less invasive than traditional surgery, and lowers the risk of shock or infection.
  In 1998, the first robotically assisted surgical procedure was completed, and this technology continues to be developed.
  The use of lasers has also helped to make surgery more precise, and less invasive. For example, lasik surgery is a common elective surgery that uses lasers to correct vision problems.