THE WESTERN SURGICAL APPROACH: A BRIEF HISTORY
Abstract:
The beginning of surgery predates the earliest written records. Initial healing strategies
involved a mix of surgery, pharmacy and magic. During antiquity, surgical theory was based on the
humoralist view, while practice was largely empiric. In the dark and middle ages, surgery regressed
under the dogmatization of ancient texts, which ended when the renaissance started a new wave of
empiricism. Surgery was seen as inherently painful and high-risky until the advent of anesthesia and
antisepsis. These breakthroughs led to an age of increasing invasiveness of surgical procedures, the time
of “great surgeon – great incision”. Since the second half of the XXth century, the focus has shifted to
minimally invasive and fast-track surgery. Current developments suggest that this approach will endure,
with a constantly improving pharmacological and technical support.
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