Remember: Ambroise Paré (1510–1590) – message for young surgeons

Cristian Constantin Popa^1,2), Andrei Alexandru Marinescu¹⁾, Aurel George Mohan³⁾,
Mircea Vicenţiu Săceleanu⁴⁾, Alexandru Vlad Ciurea^1,5)

¹⁾“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania

²⁾2^nd Clinic of General Surgery, University Emergency Hospital, Bucharest, Romania

³⁾Bihor Emergency County Hospital, Oradea, Romania

⁴⁾Department of Neurosurgery, Emergency County Hospital, Sibiu, Romania

⁵⁾Department of Neurosurgery, “Sanador Medical Center” Hospital, Bucharest, Romania

Motto: “I dressed him. God healed him.” Ambroise Paré

Abstract

Ambroise Paré was a renowned French barber-surgeon, considered by many to be “the father of surgery”. Originating from a family of barber-surgeons, he unraveled the secrets surgery at an early age, and he masters it by participating in the many military actions of the French Army of those times. As recognition of his merits, the kings of France proclaimed him their chief barber-surgeon and even president of the Royal College of French Surgeons. He was a doctor endowed with many qualities and contributed to the development of many medical specialties. Ambroise Paré has brought many contributions and innovations to the development of medicine. Worldwide, his name is closely related to the use of surgical hemostasis. As a true Professor, he offered his entire medical experience through the publication of 25 manuscripts that address various medical specialties. Perseverant and perfectionist by nature, Ambroise Paré represents a true role model for generations of surgeons to come.

Keywords: Ambroise Paré, history of medicine, surgery.

• Introduction

    Ambroise Paré (1510–1590), a French barber-surgeon, is one of the founders of modern surgery [1, 2]. The encyclopedic medical personality of the Renaissance made his mark in history due to the invention of vascular ligation, which completely changed the technique of mechanical hemostasis, thus opening a new era in the field of surgery [3, 4].

Ambroise Paré’s activity is recognized in various medical specialties: obstetrics, neurosurgery, pediatric neurosurgery, dental surgery, pediatrics, orthopedics, ophthalmology, oncology, urology, etc. He described numerous new technical innovations, based on his comprehensive knowledge of surgery and his experience in military medicine. His entire legacy is archived in
25 books of anatomy and surgery, which contain a rich illustrating iconography as well.

• Surgical career and education

    Ambroise Paré, one of the most famous surgeons of the 16^th century, considered by many authors to be “the father of modern surgery”, was born in 1510, in Bourg-Hersent, near Laval, in Northwest France. Both his father and one of his bigger brothers were barber-surgeons, which encouraged young Ambroise to embrace early on, this profession (Figure 1) [4–6].

                 _{Figure 1 – Portrait of Ambroise Paré (1510–1590) by William Holl (public domain).}

    His surgical career began early, being the first aid to the private surgeon of Laval. At the age of 15, another he started a new apprenticeship at a surgeon-barber in Angers, and at the age of 19, he starts the courses of the famous Barber-Surgery School at Hôtel-Dieu Hospital in Paris (which at that time was associated with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Paris) for a period of four years (1532–1536). In 1536, he received the title of master barber-surgeon and enrolled in the French Army to help the wounded soldiers [1–4, 7, 8].