Dasiel's Surgical History Lesson
This Scottish scientist discovered penicillin in 1928, though it did not see widespread use until after 1940.
Who was Alexander Fleming?
Massive bleeding 7–10 days after tracheostomy placement is concerning for this complication.
What is a tracheoinnominate fistula?
This late 19th century surgeon became the eponym for two of the most common upper GI reconstructions performed today.
Who was Theodor Billroth?
A patient is POD#7 after Whipple procedure with persistent high NG output and inability to tolerate oral intake.
What is delayed gastric emptying?
This French surgeon described in 1921 the procedure involving sigmoid colectomy with end colostomy creation for diverticulitis.
Who was Henri Albert Hartmann?
After neck dissection, a patient develops miosis, ptosis, anhidrosis, and nasal congestion due to injury of this structure.
What is the superior cervical ganglion? (Horner syndrome)
This famous American surgeon, a student of Billroth, developed the radical mastectomy that remained standard for decades.
Who was William Stewart Halsted?
This is the only motor nerve to the groin and may be injured during inguinal hernia repair.
What is the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve?
This famous American surgeon operated on the Shah of Iran in 1980 and performed a splenectomy after traumatic injury.
Who was Michael DeBakey?
A patient develops a bulge at a trocar site several weeks after laparoscopic colectomy for colon cancer. This represents this complication.
What is port-site metastasis?
This surgeon earned his medical degree at University of California, Irvine, completed General Surgery at UF and has 2 fellowships. Also has no filter, he is (in his words) the world’s best first assistant and taught all of us how to perform an appendectomy.
Donald Plumley