History Fact Finder | Medicine and Disease - When Did Modern Surgery Begin?

When did modern surgery begin?

Physicians developed modern surgical techniques during the late Renaissance (c. 1350–c.1600) period. Prior to this time, surgery was performed by barber-surgeons. French surgeon Ambroise Paré almost single-handedly developed new surgical techniques, becoming known as the "father of modern surgery" for his efforts. After serving an apprenticeship with a barber-surgeon in rural France, Paré studied surgery at the Hôtel-Dieu, the only public hospital in Paris. By 1536 he was a master surgeon. After serving as an army surgeon (the private doctor of a military officer), Paré built up a well-known surgical practice and became the doctor to four French kings. Paré also wrote works on surgery, anatomy (parts of the body), the plague, and methods of treating wounds. One such method was using a mild ointment on wounds instead of cauterizing (burning) wounds with boiling oil to prevent...

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