200 Years of Surgery: Recent Episodes
China Plus
Who are we? What really controls our bodies? Hidden inside our beautiful universe are the deepest secrets of the human body. Man has been exploring it to get a clearer view of how it works since ancient times, opening the door to this forbidden zone and working accurately in this tiny space.
Today, treating a complex heart abnormality is no longer an impossible task for doctors. But just 70 years ago, not even one heart surgery had been performed. The speed of development in this field has therefore been astonishing.
Organ transplants are considered the greatest medical miracle of the 20th century. Today's surgeons can use organs from the diseased to help the living. Countless people have been saved thanks to this type of operation.
Fighting cancer is the ultimate battle where we are up against life itself. Perhaps the existence of cancer reveals to us the boundaries of human life. In the battle against cancer, humans have gained only a slight victory.
The combination of medicine and the latest technologies continue to push the boundaries of human imagination. But despite the rapid development of technology, doctors will continue to treat patients and protect human life, as they have always done.
Who are we? What really controls our bodies? These are the first questions people ask themselves before they start to explore and examine their bodies and the world. For thousands of years, in the mists of ignorance and darkness, medical pioneers went on a quest for answers.
During the long period of ancient medicine, determining the anatomy of the human body was never achieved. It was not until the 14th century that things changed significantly. As the earliest means to discern the secrets of the human body, anthropotomy paved the way for modern medicine. In fact, everything that surgeons are familiar with today began with this.
Today surgeons are able to operate on any part of the human body. Although surgeons have superb skills and access to state-of-the-art medical equipment, they still rely most on hemostasis, anesthesia, and strict disinfection, the three cornerstones of surgery regarded as the safety basics. It was the achievement of these conditions that ushered in a new era of surgery.
Surgery was once commonly associated with images of people being cut open in agony, and their bloodied corpses discarded. The history of surgery is about the compassion of medical pioneers pressing on through endless trials. Today, due to the effectiveness of hemostasis, anesthesia, and disinfection, the lancet has become a lifesaving instrument.
Today countless patients enjoy the benefits of modern medical technology. But over 100 years ago, it is basic technology such as hemostasis, anesthesia, and disinfection that finally enabled the lancet to be used in body cavities. But even with that, human beings still had a long way to go before they could perform safe and effective surgeries that we know today.
Cancer, the ultimate disease. Humans have fought this disease for over 4000 years. But to this day, we are still unable to claim victory against it.
From the moment we are born, a lifetime of struggle against disease and death begins. Human beings have never stopped exploring the mysteries of life. And surgery has developed continuously in the process of humans, endless exploration of themselves and the world around them. And with continued exploration, we can expect to see an even better future ahead of us.
Surgery developed not only because of the development of surgical technology, it developed as a result of the development of all sciences. At the beginning of the 20th century, the efforts of many previous medical practitioners laid a more solid foundation for the field. Breakthroughs in medical imaging and blood transfusions eventually enabled the lancet to enter the human body and treat diseases safely and effectively.
The brain is one of the most complex organs in the human body that determines how we perceive ourselves and the world. The secrets of the brain have not yet been fully unlocked. As for how far neural surgery can go, no one knows. This is the challenge with no end in sight.
The development of cardiac surgery technology has allowed doctors today to solve a variety of heart problems with ease. However, problems related to this vital organ are still the number one threat to human life.
The beginning of organ transplantation in the 20th century was a miracle. With transplants, once dying patients have been given a new lease on life. Surgeons, scientific thinking and bold imaginations have created a bridge that spans the gap between life and death.
Neural surgery is the most cutting-edge and the youngest branch in the field of surgery. It is also one of the most challenging surgeries. The brain is a secret world whose mysteries are yet to be fully revealed.