Forgotten Pioneers of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery During the Medieval Period

Abstract

Sushruta who lived in India sometime between 1000 and 800 BC is traditionally recognized for being the “Father of Plastic Surgery.” However, “plastic surgery” has been performed much earlier in antiquity, with the earliest origins of primitive procedures dating back to 1600 BC in Ancient Egypt on the southeastern shores of the Mediterranean. Some centuries later, simple plastic cosmetic surgeries were performed, as well on the Northern Mediterranean shores in ancient Greece and Rome to repair damaged parts caused by war mutilation, punishment, or humiliation. Afterward, there has been a historical gap moving rapidly from the Greco-Roman period to the European Renaissance. Ignoring valuable contributions made by surgeons of the Medieval period, like Albucasis and Avicenna, has denied scholars of the Arabic Golden Age that bridged the eastern and western cultures recognition. In fact, all Mediterranean populations, albeit not together or simultaneously, have participated in the development of plastic and reconstructive surgery art and science. All have made valuable innovations, together with others, which cumulatively have resulted in progressive buildup of knowledge and technical skills.