Sushruta Samhita is the most authentic text on the practice of ayurvedic surgery believed to have been written around the sixth century B C. Sushruta, renowned as the father of surgery, represents the Dhanwantari School of surgeons. His samhita discusses in minute detail how to perform prosthetic surgery to replace limbs, cosmetic surgery on different parts of the body, cesarean operations, setting of compound fractures, and even brain surgery.
The samhita discusses blood in terms of the fourth dosha, in addition to the tridosha. It is also the first to enumerate and discuss the pitta subtypes. Sushruta details about 125 surgical instruments used by him, mostly made of stones, wood and other such natural materials. Use of shalaka, meaning foreign body (rods or probe), is also mentioned by Sushruta. Some classifications found in the Sushruta Samhita are not even traced by modern medical science. He is the first surgeon in medical history who systematically and elaborately dealt with the anatomical structure of the eye. Sushruta has discussed about 72 diseases of the eye. He has stipulated drug therapy for various types of conjunctivitis and glaucoma, along with surgical procedures for the removal of cataract, pterygium, and diseases of the ear, nose and throat.
Plastic Surgery in India 2600 years old
Sushruta, known as the father of surgery, practiced his skill as early as 600 BC. He used cheek skin to perform plastic surgery to restore or reshape the nose, ears and lips with incredible results. Modern plastic surgery acknowledges his contributions by calling this method of rhinoplasty as the Indian method.
125 Types Of Surgical Instruments
"The Hindus (Indians) were so advanced in surgery that their instruments could cut a hair longitudinally.
Sushruta worked with 125 kinds of surgical instruments, which included scalpels, lancets, needles, catheters, rectal speculums, mostly conceived from jaws of animals and birds to obtain the necessary grips. He also defined various methods of stitching: the use of horse’s hair, fine thread, fibres of bark, goat’s guts and ant’s heads.
300 Different Operations
Sushruta describes the details of more than 300 operations and 42 surgical processes. In his compendium Sushruta Samhita he minutely classifies surgery into 8 types:
• Aharyam = extracting solid bodies
• Bhedyam = excision
• Chhedyam = incision
• Aeshyam = probing
• Lekhyam = scarification
• Vedhyam = puncturing
• Visraavyam = evacuating fluids
• Sivyam = suturing
The ancient Indians were also the first to perform amputation, cesarean surgery and cranial surgery. For rhinoplasty, Sushruta first measured the damaged nose, skillfully sliced off skin from the cheek and sutured the nose. He then placed medicated cotton pads to heal the operation.
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