The first detailed description of plastic surgical procedures is found in the clinical text o
The first detailed description of plastic surgical
procedures is found in the clinical text on Indian surgery, the 'Sushruta
Samhita' (circa 600 B.C.). Atharva Veda, the root of Ayurveda , the classical
text of Indian medical knowledge includes two seminal texts, Charaka Samhita on
medicinal aspects and Sushruta Samhita which incorporates details of surgical
tools and operative techniques. Sushruta wrote this treatise based on the
lectures of his teacher, the famous surgeon king, Devadas ('incarnation of Dhanwantari
, the divine physician). In fourth century A.D. Vagbhat , an Indian physician
recounted the plastic surgical procedures with more details than provided in
Sushruta Samhita. In his book,'Ashtanga Hridyans Samhita' he credits the
techniques to Maharishi Atreya. It is interesting to find mention of plastic
surgical procedures such as rhinoplasty, otoplasty, tissue grafting, organ
transplants, transfer of embryo, cross-grafting of head and re-attachment of
limbs etc. in these ancient Indian Medical Treatises and Puranic Literature.
This golden era of Hindu Surgery
began its gradual decline from the time of Buddha (562- 472 B.C.). Buddhist
scripture Mahavagga Jataka enforced strict prohibition on surgeons and
Manusmriti prescribed special rituals for purification of surgeons.
Contemporary teaching that time was basically medicinal i.e. Ayurveda, which
forbade surgery, as contact with blood and pus was considered polluting. Hence,
during this period, these great surgical skills were delegated to lower castes
like 'Koomars' or potters who were known for their manual dexterity. They kept
alive this valuable knowledge and passed it from father to son as a family
secret. In fact India and Egypt are considered as the fountain-heads from which
the stream of knowledge flowed to the middle east, eventually to reach
Mediterranean civilization; the Greeks and the Romans. The ancient Indian
medical knowledge was carried into Greece and Arabia by Buddhist Missionaries.
The German, French and English surgeons were introduced to the older Indian
method. During that period, certain German scholars who studied the original
text in Sanskrit, British surgeons and French travelers, who saw
for themselves the rhinoplasty operations performed in India, revealed the
wonders and practical possibilities of this speciality to the Western world. It
was, however, the discovery of anaesthesia (Morton, Long and Wells) and
anti-sepsis (Lord Lister) which revolutionised the practice of surgery and made
it painless and infection free.
Modern plastic surgery in India
started after World War II. During the war, there were couple of British
Maxillo-facial Surgery Units and a special mention was made about them by Mr. Tom Gibson (Canniesburn Hospital) at Bangalore and
by Mr. E.W. Peet at Pune, during their visits to India. This kindled the
interest in Plastic surgery among a few young Indian surgeons working then with
the armed forces as "temporary commissioned officers". After the war,
two of them i.e. Dr. C. Balakrishnan and Dr. R.N.Sinha specialised in Plastic
Surgery, while Major Sukh continued his interest in the speciality as a pioneer
in the field of plastic surgery at the Armed Forces Medical College and
Hospital, Pune. There was no existence of plastic surgery as a recognised
speciality in the country.The first independent Department of Plastic Surgery
in the country was finally created at the M.C.Hospital, Nagpur, in 1958.
