Sushruta
~600 BCE · Indian · Ancient India
Known for: Father of surgery who described 300+ procedures including rhinoplasty and cataract surgery
Sushruta practiced surgery in ancient Varanasi and wrote the Sushruta Samhita, describing over 300 surgical procedures using 120 instruments. He performed cataract surgery, cesarean sections, and developed techniques for rhinoplasty that the British 'discovered' 2,400 years later.
His textbook classified surgery into eight categories and emphasized cleanliness and careful observation—principles that wouldn't be rediscovered in Europe until Lister.
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