Written by Bedirhan Atabay
Neurosurgery is a type of Neurology studying surgery techniques. Humanity always cared about Neurosurgery and they saw it as an important technique. Neurosurgical activities developed by time as new developments occurred all over the world and global technological advance significantly affected global development. Neurosurgery holds a great importance for the modern medical sector, and it is one of the main treatments to solve neurological problems globally. It used to be different in the past, developed technological conditions like today were non-existent.More primitive techniques were used in the past, it was less effective, more dangerous and sometimes weird. Neurosurgery was accepted as a crucial method to solve these problems in the past and they were widespread in some civilizations. Meanwhile, some civilizations banned those methods and sometimes this caused various deaths or decreased the amount of deaths. We are going to explain some of the most important methods used in this article.
First neurological was created by Incas. It was Cranioplasty, the restoration of the skull bone after a major injury. After a while, the skull bone recovered just like the rest of our bones [2]. Cranioplasty has various types; however, the most common type of Cranioplasty consists partly of removal of the scalp from the skull and replacement of the scalp with another matter such as Titanium. In the Inca ages, Cranioplasty used to be a bit more different than modern Cranioplasty. They were using a specific type of Cranioplasty called “Trepanation”.
First discovery of Trepanation by Europeans occurred in 1865 when an archeologist named Ephraim George Squier was given a present by his hostess who was interested in Peruvian culture. Present was a trepanated skull. Skull had a hole and the hole had a radius of 1 inches and it was terrifying to see a skull like this according to Squier. He figured out it was not because of an injury and then he presented the skull to various professors but they refused to believe the fact that Incan Indians were capable of solving these problems by opening a hole into the skull. Main reason for this denial was the rapid increase of racism in European countries. However, this method was going way before European discovery.
Trepanation was first started by the Incas. They developed Trepanation as a way to solve neurologic problems [2]. Trepanation means ”to make a hole in the skull” [6].A more advanced explanation is “ Opening a hole in the skull to access into different parts of brain to cure various mental diseases occurring in parts of our brain.” This method was used to cure mental illnesses, brain injuries, headaches, etc. and it was sometimes successful as this method advanced by time; however, there were some unsuccessful attempts to solve these problems. Although invented by them, the Incas were not the only users of trepanation [2]. For example, In China, trepanned skulls were found. These skulls dated back to 3000 BC. Traces of trepanned skulls were found in Oceania too; however, their date is unknown [2].
Egyptians made the first Neurosurgical Operation and they created a papyrus to describe the parts of the brain and Show a brain surgery method [2]. According to Papyri, Egyptian King Osiris had a paralyzing cervical spine injury and the brain surgery on the papyri is actually his surgery [5]. Egyptian surgerors developed new methods to solve these problems.
Even though India was rather new to Neurosurgery, Indian surgeon Sasruta made the first successful entrance to the skull. He also gave information about surgical instruments that were used in that period [2].
Even though all these innovations in neurosurgery are awesome, the real expansion of neurosurgery started in the Greek period [2]. Hippocrates was the pioneer of rigorous clinical evaluation of cranial and spinal disorders. He described the localization of an injury, and he documented the use of threpanon. Roman and Byzantine scientists such as Galen, Rufus of Ephesus, and Celsus also helped to expand this topic [2].
Another expansion started in the Arabic Era when Muslim scientists developed new methods of surgery. One figure that significantly influenced neurosurgery is Albucasis, the father of modern surgery [2]. Some of his inventions are Surgery of Eye, Ear, and Throat, Removing polyp from the nose, Utilization of Cauterization, and Treatment for Anal Fistulas.
These important achievements were the start of modern neurosurgery.By strengthening of a new and better era for Neurosurgery, they changed our lives.
References:
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Nikova, A., & Birbilis, T. (2017, December). The basic steps of evolution of brain surgery. Maedica. Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5879592/.
SP;, C. A. L. E. M. L. (n.d.). Hippocrates' influence on the origins of Neurosurgery. Neurosurgical focus. Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17961056/.
Amr, S. S., & Tbakhi, A. (2007). Abu Al Qasim Al Zahrawi (albucasis): Pioneer of modern surgery. Annals of Saudi medicine. Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6077085/.
Filler, A. G. (2007, July 1). A historical hypothesis of the first recorded neurosurgical operation: Isis, Osiris, Thoth, and the origin of the Djed Cross. focus. Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://thejns.org/focus/view/journals/neurosurg-focus/23/1/foc-07_07_e6.xml?tab_body=pdf-25682.
Trephination: What is it, its use, and more | osmosis. (n.d.). Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://www.osmosis.org/answers/trephination.
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