John C Hall

Heroes of a Moment John C Hall

Heroes of a Moment details the most productive period in the history of surgery. Anaesthesia and antisepsis made it possible to explore the contents of the abdomen, chest, and skull. However, even in the early part of the twentieth century, these main cavities of the body were only invaded by the most adventurous surgeons.




Once the mechanics of operating had advanced, science and technology became the drivers for change. These changes were reflected in the equipment used by surgeons, the architecture of hospitals, and the nature of being a surgeon. The expansion in manufacturing that occurred after World War II fuelled a new era of open body cavity surgery.




Another big advance occurred in the 1990s when the rapid uptake of laparoscopic cholecystectomy generated the 'escape velocity' needed to progress minimal access surgery. At the end of the nineteenth century, surgeons used cutlery; by the twenty-first century, they were looking at digital images and flirting with robots.