The Evolution Of Surgical Instruments

Historians have examined the development of surgical techniques and of the surgical profession itself, but have paid scant attention to the tools that made surgery. Surgeon and historian Kirkup (honorary curator, Royal College of Surgeons, UK) demonstrates how surgical instruments as sophisticated as ultrasound or lasers began as teeth, mouth, fists, fingernails, and fingers. Far from being a compendium drawn from instrument catalogs, this volume is a masterpiece of scholarship. The instruments are situated in the surgical theory and practice of their times. Kirkup's skill and devotion in his presentation and description raise the work from a register to a natural history of the instruments. (The only caveat is that some pictures are not for the squeamish.) An extensive bibliography and an excellent index add to the book's value.

This is a very scholarly work that the author prefaces by explaining the Latin and Greek writings which are sources of his information. He tells us that both cultures had many, many kinds of different surgical instruments many of them made of iron and bronze. They also had instruments made of steel, since in those ancient days pure iron ore and good quality charcoal were abundant, thus allowing the making of steel.

Take your understanding to a whole new level with Pageburst digital books on VitalSource! Easy-to-use, interactive features let you make highlights, share notes, run instant topic searches, and so much more. Best of all, with Pageburst, you get flexible online, offline, and mobile access to all your digital books. With hundreds of detailed, full-color photographs of common surgical instruments, Surgical Instrumentation: An Interactive Approach, 2nd Edition makes it easier to learn the identification, purpose, and set up of instruments for surgical procedures. Many photos include close-up views of the instrument tip, so you can quickly discern differences between instruments. Interactive resources on Evolve let you rotate key instruments 360 degrees for viewing from any angle, zoom in to examine the tip or zoom out to reveal the entire instrument, and also include flash cards, timed memory exercises, Mayo stand set up quizzes, and animations of large and small fragmentation sets. Written for surgical technologists by surgical technology educator Renee Nemitz, this resource offers a level of visual clarity and realism unmatched by any other surgical instrument book! More than 600 full-color, high-quality photographs help you learn the most common surgical instruments for all surgical procedures. Consistent instrument monographs include the name, common name, category, use (type of surgery and where on the body), cautions relating to safety or patient care, and other details such as regional name variations. Student resources on the Evolve companion website include all of the images from the text, additional 360-degree views and close-ups of over 100 instruments, animations of large and small fragment sets, and timed recall exercises for practice in learning instruments. Close-up photos of more than 100 instruments show the details of each tip, demonstrating variations and making it easier to identify each surgical instrument. Presentation of two or fewer illustrations per page makes it easier to see the details of each instrument. Enhanced flash cards and quizzes on the Evolve companion website allow you to review instruments by chapter or to randomize your review with instruments from the entire text. Alternative names are added to the book’s index for easer lookup of instruments whose names have regional variations. Enhanced quizzes on Evolve are available as Practice or Test options, and results may be printed out for submission to instructors.

About the Book: This book has therefore subdivided the realm of medical instruments into the same sections like a text on physiology and introduces the basic early day methods well, before dealing with the details of present day instruments currently in