38 Facts About Al-Zahrawi

Al-Zahrawi is considered one of the greatest surgeons of the Middle Ages.

Al-Zahrawi's pioneering contributions to the field of surgical procedures and instruments had an enormous impact in the East and West well into the modern period, where some of his discoveries are still applied in medicine to this day.

Al-Zahrawi pioneered the use of catgut for internal stitches, and his surgical instruments are still used today to treat people.

Al-Zahrawi was the first physician to identify the hereditary nature of haemophilia and describe an abdominal pregnancy, a subtype of ectopic pregnancy that in those days was a fatal affliction, and was first to discover the root cause of paralysis.

Al-Zahrawi developed surgical devices for Caesarean sections and cataract surgeries.

Al-Zahrawi was born in the city of Azahara, 8 kilometers northwest of Cordoba, Andalusia.

Al-Zahrawi's birth date is not known for sure scholars agree that he was born around 936, the year his birthplace city of Azahara was founded.

Al-Zahrawi was a court physician to the Andalusian caliph Al-Hakam II.

Al-Zahrawi was a contemporary or near contemporary of Andalusian chemists such as Ibn al-Wafid, al-Majriti and Artephius.

Al-Zahrawi devoted his entire life and genius to the advancement of medicine as a whole and surgery in particular.

Al-Zahrawi's work helped to lay the foundation for modern surgical techniques and has had a lasting impact on the practice of medicine.

Al-Zahrawi invented several devices used during surgery, for purposes such as inspection of the interior of the urethra and inspection, applying and removing foreign bodies from the throat, the ear and other body organs.

Al-Zahrawi was the first to illustrate the various cannulae and the first to treat a wart with an iron tube and caustic metal as a boring instrument.

Al-Zahrawi sewed up the wound and the girl recovered, thereby proving that an incision in the larynx could heal.

Al-Zahrawi is known to have performed surgical treatments of head injuries, skull fractures, spinal injuries, hydrocephalus, subdural effusions and headache.

Al-Zahrawi stated that he chose to discuss surgery in the last volume because surgery is the highest form of medicine, and one must not practice it until he becomes well-acquainted with all other branches of medicine.

Al-Zahrawi emphasized the importance of treating patients irrespective of their social status.

Al-Zahrawi encouraged the close observation of individual cases in order to make the most accurate diagnosis and the best possible treatment.

Al-Zahrawi was, therefore, the first to describe the migraine surgery procedure that is enjoying a revival in the 21st century, spearheaded by Elliot Shevel, a South African surgeon.

Al-Zahrawi ascribed such decline to a lack of anatomical knowledge and a misunderstanding of the human physiology.

Al-Zahrawi who devoted himself to surgerymust be versed in the science ofanatomy.

Al-Zahrawi should become thoroughly familiar with nerves, muscles, bones, arteries and veins.

Al-Zahrawi's technique was important for the development of lithotomy, and an improvement over the existing techniques in Europe which caused severe pain for the patient, and came with high death rates.

Al-Zahrawi was known to use gold and silver wires to ligate loosened teeth, and has been credited as the first to use replantation in the history of dentistry.

Al-Zahrawi invented instruments to scale the calculus from the teeth, a procedure he recommended as a prevention from periodontal disease.

Al-Zahrawi introduced over 200 surgical instruments, which include, among others, different kinds of scalpels, retractors, curettes, pincers, specula, and instruments designed for his favoured techniques of cauterization and ligature.

Al-Zahrawi invented hooks with a double tip for use in surgery.

Catgut appears to be the only natural substance capable of dissolving and is acceptable by the body, an observation Al-Zahrawi discovered after his monkey ate the strings of his oud.

Al-Zahrawi invented the forceps for extracting a dead fetus, as illustrated in the Kitab al-Tasrif.

Al-Zahrawi warns that another procedure should not be attempted by any surgeon lacking "long training and practice in the use of cautery".

Al-Zahrawi is not afraid to depart from old practice, disparaging the opinions that cauterization should only be used in the spring or that gold is the best material for cauterization: "cauterization is swifter and more successful with iron".

In pharmacy and pharmacology, Al-Zahrawi pioneered the preparation of medicines by sublimation and distillation.

Al-Zahrawi dedicated the 28th chapter of his book to pharmacy and pharmaceutical techniques.

Al-Zahrawi touched upon the subject of cosmetics and dedicated a chapter for it in his medical encyclopedia.

Al-Zahrawi considered cosmetics a branch of medicine, which he called "Medicine of Beauty".

Al-Zahrawi invented perfumed sticks rolled and pressed in special molds, perhaps the earliest antecedents of present-day lipsticks, and solid deodorants.

Al-Zahrawi was the "most frequently cited surgical authority of the Middle Ages".

Al-Zahrawi's influence continued for at least five centuries, extending into the Renaissance, evidenced by al-Tasrif's frequent reference by French surgeon Jacques Dalechamps.