If you thought plastic surgery was a modern branch of medicine, think again! An ancient Indian physician named Sushruta was said to have performed rhinoplasty, or reconstructive nose surgery, as early as the 6th century BC, in the ancient city of Varanasi!
Sushruta is remarkable for many firsts in medicine. He wrote one of the world’s earliest works on the subject called Sushruta Samhita. He organized medical knowledge into disciplines such as surgery, pharmacology, pathology, physiology, anatomy, and ophthalmology. He was skilled in many branches of surgery and could identify almost 1,100 diseases!
He gave an in-depth analysis of 12 varieties of fractures and 6 types of dislocation. He even delved into the highly technical field of ophthalmology. He performed cataract surgery with the use of a special tool called the Jabamukhi Salaka, a curved needle. Sushruta imparted his knowledge to his students through scientific and logical methods. It’s no wonder then, that Sushruta is known as the Father of Indian Surgery, the Father of Plastic Surgery and the Father of Anaesthesiology.
Picture Credit : Google
