Sushruta and Plastic Surgery

I was alerted to this by a reader…quite remarkable:

Sushruta lays down the basic principles of plastic surgery by advocating a proper physiotherapy before the operation and describes various methods or different types of defects, viz., (1) release of the skin for covering small defects, (2) rotation of the flaps to make up for the partial loss and (3) pedicle flaps for covering complete loss of skin from an area. He has mentioned various methods including sliding graft, rotation graft and pedicle graft. Nasal repair or rhinoplasty has been described in greater detail, which to this day has stood the test of time and is mentioned as the Indian method of rhinoplasty in the books of plastic surgery. Lastly, labioplasty too has received his attention.

In short, all the principles of plastic surgery, viz., accuracy, precision, economy, haemostasis and perfection find an important place in Sushruta’s writings on this subject. [ link ]

As many of you would know, Rishi Sushruta lived around 6th century B.C. i.e. more than 2500 years ago.

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There is more:

The medical works of both Sushruta and Charak were translated into Arabic language during the Abbasid Caliphate (750 CE). These Arabic works made their way into Europe via intermediaries. In Italy the Branca family of Sicily and Gaspare Tagliacozzi (Bologna) became familiar with the techniques of Sushruta.

British physicians traveled to India to see Rhinoplasty being performed by native methods. Reports on Indian Rhinoplasty were published in the Gentleman’s Magazine by 1794. Joseph Constantine Carpue spent 20 years in India studying local plastic surgery methods. Carpue was able to perform the first major rhinoplasty in the western world by 1815.  Instruments described in the Sushruta Samhita were further modified in the Western World. [ link ]

Also read: History of plastic surgery in India by Drs. RE Rana and BS Arora.

Some of you will find these dozen-odd posts in the Ayurveda category interesting.

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