Legends of Surgery
Episodes
Episode 116 - The Ilizarov Apparatus
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will cover Gavriil Ilizarov, the Soviet surgeon who created what is now known as the Ilizarov Apparatus, which is used to heal com...
Episode 115 - Sit up and take notice: The Fowler Position
14 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will talk about the Fowler position in surgery, its current and historical uses, the person behind the name, and the legend of its...
Episode 114 - "Troubled Masterpiece": The Controversial Pernkopf Atlas
16 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll explore the history of the Pernkopf Atlas, an anatomy text used by surgeons and pathologists worldwide, as well as the life of ...
Episode 113 - Better know an instrument: Potts Scissors
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll meet the person behind the eponymously named scissors, the American pediatric surgeon Willis J. Potts. We'll cover his contribu...
Episode 112 - The Ongoing History of Surgery: The World's First Whole Eye Transplant
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will cover the recent story of (possibly) the world's first whole eye transplant that occured in May of 2023, as well as the story...
Episode 111 - The Code of Hammurabi
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will explore the history of a nearly 4 millenia old slab of rock which has inscribed on it some of the oldest recorded laws in his...
Episode 110 - The Loch Ness Monster and The Surgeon's Photo
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will explore the legend of the Loch Ness Monster, as well as the surgeon behind a famous photograph of the beast, Robert Kenneth W...
Episode 109 - Was Jack the Ripper a surgeon?
30 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will explore the question of the identity of the 19th century serial killer based in the London neighborhood of Whitechapel. Speci...
Episode 108 - The Michelangelo of Medicine: Frank Netter and the Atlas of Human Anatomy
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will explore the famous 20th century medical illustrator Frank Netter and his magnum opus, the Atlas of Human Anatomy. While this ...
Episode 107 - "The Secret"
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will meet the Chamberlen family, French Huguenots and barber surgeons/male midwives that practiced in England in the 16th and 17th...
Episode 106 - From toxin to cure: The story of Botox
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Initially recognized as a poison in blood sausage by a German country doctor in the 19th century CE, botulinum toxin was isolated and purified during ...
Episode 105 - Better know an instrument: the Yankauer suction tip
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will cover Dr. Sidney Yankauer, a leader in the development of ENT as a surgical specialty, including the creation of his eponymou...
Episode 104 - Lamb's Blood, Monkey 'Glands', Pig Kidneys, and More: A Brief History of Xenotransplantation
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will trace the history of attempts at transplanting cells, tissues, and organs from animals into humans. From world-famous surgeon...
Episode 103 - The Story of the Spleen
05 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we return to a previous series, looking at the history of different organs in the body. The history of our understanding of the splee...
Bonus Episode - The Curious Case of Scarpa's Head
06 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus suture tale episode, we cover the life and works of the famous Italian surgeon and anatomist Antonio Scarpa. While many are familiar wit...
Episode 102 - Hua T'o and Surgery in Ancient China
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we cover the legendary figure of Hua T'o, the best known (and one of the few) surgeons from Ancient China, as well as the state of su...
Episode 101 - Galen, Part 2: His Works
21 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll take a look at some of the contributions he made in surgery and anatomy, as well as some of the errors of his that were repeate...
Episode 100 - Galen, Part 1: The Story of his Life
30 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the 100th episode of Legends of Surgery, we will explore the life of one of medicine and surgery's greatest influences: the Greek physician from An...
Episode 99 - The History of Transgender Reassignment Surgery
07 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the history of transgender medicine, with a focus on the development of the main surgical procedures in gender reassignme...
Episode 98 - A Knot of Suture Tales
12 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're going to do something a bit different. I've taken a number of shorter but very interesting topics, either that I've come across...
Bonus Episode - The Bizarre History of Bezoars
31 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode, we cover the long and strange history of the bezoar, a stone that forms in the stomachs of some animals (including humans!) We ...
Episode 97 - The History of Blood Transfusions
25 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the origins of our understanding of blood and its function, going all the way back to ancient Greece and Rome. We'll discu...
Episode 96 - The History of the Esophagectomy
16 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was written by a guest contributor, Harvard student Simar Bajaj. In it, we cover some of the anatomy and function of the esophagus, befor...
Episode 95 - Non Per Os: The Tale of TPN
09 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will cover the story of providing fluids and nutrients intravenously, leading up to Dr. Stanley Dudrick and the development of TP...
Episode 94 - Guy de Chauliac and the Black Death
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The subject for this episode, written and narrated by Dr. David Sigmon, is the great medieval surgeon Guy de Chauliac. His life and works are covered,...
Episode 93 - The Story of the Mitral Valve
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was written by a guest contributor, Simar Bajaj, a student of the History of Science at Harvard University. In it, we cover the story of ...
Episode 92 - A Cool Tale about Induced Hypothermia
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was written by a guest contributor, Dr. David Warmflash, and covers the history of the use of induced hypothermia in surgery, from its ea...
Episode 91 - Guillaume Dupuytren: The Brigand of the Hotel Dieu
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the brilliant but difficult character of Guillaume Dupuytren, and of course the disease which bears his name. In addition...
Episode 90 - Alexander Thomas Augusta, a story of courage
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Dr. David Sigmon tells the inspirational true story of Dr. Alexander Thomas Augusta, the first African American surgeon in the N...
Episode 89 - Neurosurgeon Dr. Walter Dandy
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we cover the contributions to neurosurgery by Dr. Walter Dandy, including an in depth look at the ventricular system of the brain. We...
Episode 88 - The History of the Parathyroid Gland
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will trace the history of the parathyroid gland, from its identification, to the determination of its function, the understanding ...
Episode 87 - Drs. DeBakey and Cooley, Part 2: Feud and Reconciliation
09 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this 2nd part of a 2-part series on the world-famous cardiac surgeons Drs. DeBakey and Cooley, we cover their life's work, their feud, and eventual...
Episode 86 - Dr. Nikolay Pirogov - Founder of Field Surgery
11 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Dr. David Sigmon tells us the tale of the Russian surgeon Dr. Pirogov, detailing his early life, including family tragedies that woul...
Episode 85 - Drs. DeBakey and Cooley, Part 1: Origin stories
11 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we cover the early lives and career beginnings of the famous cardiovascular surgeons Drs. Michael DeBakey and Denton Cooley, up to th...
Episode 84 - The Secret Identity of Dr. James Barry
15 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is another episode provided by Dr. David Sigmon! He covers the history of a surgeon who had a successful, but not necessarily legendary, surgical...
Episode 83 - Halloween Edition: Shiro Ishii and the infamous Unit 731
01 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, new host and collaborator for the show, Dr. David Sigmon, tells the horrifying tale of the Japanese surgeon Dr. Shiro Ishii and Japan...
Episode 82 - Hugh Hampton Young and the Radical Prostatectomy
16 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Despite the title, this episode is about far more than just the first prostatectomy performed for cancer treatment. The life of American urologist Dr....
Bonus Episode 4 - A History of the Adrenal Glands
18 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode, we welcome a new member to the Legends of Surgery team, Dr. David Simon, a general surgery resident at the University of Chicag...
Episode 81 - Vesalius and the Birth of Modern Anatomy
13 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we cover one of the most influential books in the history of surgery, the 'De Humane Corporis Fabrica', and its author, Andreas Vesal...
Episode 80 - Ambroise Pare, Renaissance Surgeon
09 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will explore the life and impact of French surgeon Ambroise Pare, who has been described as "one of the most luminous figures in t...
Episode 79 - Cracking the Chest: The Brief History of Resuscitative Thoracotomy
15 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There are few surgical interventions more dramatic than the thoracotomy - a desperate last-ditch effort to save a failing heart by manual compression....
Episode 78 - Christiaan Barnard: The Surgeon Who Dared and Interview with Dr. David K. C. Cooper
23 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a bit different than previous, in that the first part is a review of the life and work of the famous cardiac surgeon Christiaan Barnar...
Episode 77 - Frederick Salmon and the Founding of the St. Mark's Fistula Hospital
18 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the life of English surgeon Frederick Salmon, his clashes with the medical establishment at the time, and his creation of...
Episode 76 - the Bier Block
14 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will cover the German surgeon August Bier, and his creation of both spinal anesthesia, and the eponymously named Bier block, used ...
Episode 75 - Percivall Pott and the Chimney Sweep's Cancer
11 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the life of the 18th century English surgeon, Percivall Pott. This includes some of the numerous disorders named after hi...
Episode 74 - "Time me, gentlemen": The Legend of Robert Liston
19 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the history of Robert Liston, considered "the fastest knife in the west end" of London, in an era before anesthesia. He wa...
Episode 73 - The History of the Lobotomy
01 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the strange and sometimes disturbing history of psychosurgery, and in particular, the frontal lobotomy. We'll meet the No...
Episode 72 - The History of Clubfoot
08 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will follow the history of the treatment of clubfoot, from antiquity, through the Renaissance and into modern surgery. Interesting...
Episode 71 - The History of Surgical Technologists
25 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will take a look at some of the unsung heroes of the operating room, going back to some of the earliest surgeries. We'll meet some...
Episode 70 - The History of Inguinal Hernias
10 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will follow the history of the repair of inguinal hernias from ancient times, through the age of dissection, to the Renaissance wh...
Episode 69 - Sir Astley Cooper
03 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the life of the English surgeon, Sir Astley Cooper, as well as some of his most notable accomplishments. Along the way, we...
Episode 68 - The History of Surgery in Japan
11 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will explore the introduction of Western style surgery into feudal Japan, during the period of isolation, that lasted from 1639 to...
Episode 67 - The History of Lithotomy
30 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Patients are often placed in the 'lithotomy' position. But where did this come from? We'll cover the history of the surgical procedure for bladder sto...
Episode 66 - R Adams Cowley: Father of Trauma Medicine
11 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover R Adams Cowley, a surgeon who's single-minded determination reinvented how trauma patients are cared for, and essentially...
Episode 65 - Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
28 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the relatively rare but interesting thoracic outlet syndrome, discussing its anatomy and causes, including cervical ribs....
Episode 64 - Dr. Friedrich Trendelenburg
08 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the life and works of Dr. Friedrich Trendelenburg. Many may know the name from the "Trendelenburg position", but this Ger...
Episode 63 - The Heart Lung Bypass Machine
25 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The heart lung bypass machine replaces the functions of the heart and lungs, allowing surgeons to operate on the heart. Its invention essentially crea...
Episode 62 - Cochlear Implants
09 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cochlear implants are an amazing innovation that have had a huge impact on patients. In this episode, we'll cover the history of their development, an...
Episode 61 - Lasers in Surgery
25 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the creation of the laser and some of the physics behind it (don't worry, not too much!) and meet the early pioneers of l...
Episode 60 - Better know an instrument: Metzenbaum scissors
09 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the life and times of the surgeon for whom "Metz" are named for, Dr. Myron Firth Metzenbaum. We'll look at his work with ...
Episode 59 - The History of the Railway Surgeon
28 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will cover the brief but fascinating history of that often-overlooked specialty in the development of modern surgery, the railway ...
Episode 58 - The Story of the Appendix
12 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will cover the history of the appendix, from its first description, to its (recently) described function and cover what happens wh...
Episode 57 - the history of Microsurgery
16 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will explore the history of the development of the microscope and discuss its use in the operating room. From the very first use, ...
Episode 56 - William Ladd:Father of Paediatric Surgery
01 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the surgeon often referred to as the father of paediatric surgery, Dr. William Edwards Ladd. He has a famous connection t...
Episode 55 - Better know a procedure: the Whipple operation
17 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will cover the pancreatic surgery commonly known as the Whipple procedure and learn about the life and works of Dr. Allen Oldfathe...
Episode 54 - Better know an instrument: the Surgical Stapler
04 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This episode will cover the long history of the development of the surgical stapler, an instrument not often considered in surgical history. Our journ...
Episode 53 - Creepy Crawlers in Surgery: Halloween Edition
20 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll take a bit of a different approach to the history of surgery, and look at some of the insects and other creepy crawlers that ha...
Episode 52 - Sir Harold Ridley and the story of cataracts
06 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll trace the ancient history of cataract treatments, leading to the modern revolutionary invention of the intraocular lens implant...
Bonus Episode 3 - Of Barbers and Surgeons
04 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
To celebrate the 50th episode of Legends of Surgery, this podcast will cover the historical connection between barbers and surgeons, and explore the r...
Episode 51 - The Controversial figure of Dr. J. Marion Sims
22 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will explore the history of the surgeon considered to be the father of modern gynaecology. We'll look at his life and works, with ...
Episode 50 - John Hunter: Father of Scientific Surgery
08 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this, the 50th episode, we will cover the life and works of one of the most well known legends of surgery, John Hunter. His early life working at h...
Episode 49 - Surgical Families: the Mayo Brothers
25 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the story of Will and Charlie Mayo, the brothers that founded what is now known as the Mayo Clinic, a global leader in su...
Episode 48 - Better know a procedure: the Nissen Fundoplication
28 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the development of the anti-reflux surgery known as the Nissen fundoplication. But there's so much more! The life of Dr. ...
Episode 47 - Dominique Jean Larrey, the first modern military surgeon
14 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the life of Baron Dominique Jean Larrey, the surgeon in chief to Napoleon's Grand Army. He created the "flying ambulance"...
Episode 46 - Sir Archibald McIndoe and the Guinea Pig Club
30 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the life of the New Zealand born plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe and cover his pioneering work treating the members...
Episode 45 - Dr. Al-Zahrawi and surgery in the Islamic Medieval World
16 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will discuss the impact of the physicians in the Arabic-Muslim Empire during a period sometimes referred to as the "Islamic Golden...
Episode 44 - Dr. George Washington Crile and the Cleveland Clinic
03 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the life of Dr. George Washington Crile, and American surgeon probably best known for the instruments that bear his name....
Episode 43 - Dr. Harvey Cushing, Part 2: Making of a Legend
19 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this second episode on Dr. Harvey Cushing, we will cover his career, starting at Johns Hopkins, his move to the Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston and...
Episode 42 - Dr. Harvey Cushing, Part 1: Origin Story
05 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this first of two episodes on the titan of neurosurgery, we'll look at his beginnings including his early life, medical school and training, as wel...
Episode 41 - History of Rhinoplasty
21 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we trace the ancient history of the rhinoplasty, or nose repair, through ancient Egypt and India to Renaissance Europe and on to mode...
Episode 40 - Better know a procedure: the Roux-en-Y
07 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll learn about the gastrointestinal surgery known as the Roux-en-Y procedure, and learn about the surgeon for whom it's named, Dr....
Episode 39 - Dr. Theodor Billroth: Father of Abdominal Surgery
24 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will cover the life and work of Dr. Theodor Billroth, one of the great 19th century surgeons. He not only invented the famous Bill...
Episode 38 - International Women's Day Edition
10 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will track the history of women in medicine and surgery from antiquity through to modern times, taking a closer look at a few extr...
Episode 37 - Black History Month Edition
24 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will take a look at the history of African Americans in surgery. We'll cover some of the first black surgeons during the Civil War...
Episode 36 - Groundhog Day Edition
10 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll cover the story of hypothermia in surgery, led by the surgeon Dr. Bill Bigelow. His experiments with animals, including groundh...
Episode 35 - Dr. William Halsted: Father of American Modern Surgery
27 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will follow the life story of Dr. William Halsted, from his origins in New York, to his drug addiction to cocaine and morphine, an...
Episode 34 - Space: The Final Surgical Frontier?
13 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we shift gears a bit to look at a future area of surgery, and consider what it would be like to operate in space. We will consider a ...
Episode 33 - Transposition of the Great Vessels
16 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we'll take a look at a congenital heart defect and the multiple operations that were developed to try to treat it. Along the way, we'...
Episode 32 - Blalock and the Blue Babies
02 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will learn about the famous cardiac surgeon Dr. Alfred Blalock, and his famous work on blue babies suffering from Tetralogy of Fal...
Episode 31 - Operating on the President: Election Day Edition, Part 2
21 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In the second part of this 2 part series, we'll cover the surgical history of three 20th century presidents. We'll also consider how their operations ...
Episode 30 - Operating on the President: Election Day Edition, Part 1
04 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In the next 2 episodes, we will take a look at some of the amazing stories involving presidents being operated upon, and the circumstances and outcome...
Episode 29 - Halloween Edition
21 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we take on the controversial and strange subject of cephalosomatic anastomosis, better known as a head transplant. Although never don...
Episode 28 - Nobel Prize Edition
07 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we learn the history of the Nobel prize, and meet the nine surgeons that have won the prestigious award, as well as describe their wo...
Episode 27 - Better know a procedure: the Graham patch
23 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we learn about the surgeon behind the common surgical procedure, the Graham patch. As well, we will here the story behind the discove...
Episode 26 - Better know an instrument: the Foley catheter
09 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we take a look at a commonly used medical device, the Foley catheter, by exploring the long and fascinating history of its developmen...
Bonus Episode 2 - The Patron Saints of Surgeons
04 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In honour of the 25th episode of Legends of Surgery, this podcast covers a bonus topic: looking at two of the patron saints of surgeons, Saints Cosmas...
Episode 25 - Dr. Lucille Teasdale: Unsung Hero
26 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we will learn about the Canadian surgeon, Dr. Lucille Teasdale. Her tireless efforts on behalf of the Ugandan people were nothing shor...
Episode 24 - The History of Laparoscopy, Part 3: The Age of Robots
13 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will look back at how robots first entered the operating room, review the current state of surgical robots and consider possible f...
Episode 23 - The History of Laparoscopy, Part 2: The Modern Era
29 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In part two of the series, we will pick up where we left off, at the dawn of the age of laparoscopy. This episode will introduce some of the innovator...
Episode 22 - The History of Laparoscopy, Part 1: Origins
15 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This is the first of a three part series exploring the history of laparoscopy, starting with the very earliest attempts to peer inside the human body,...