Brain Surgery In Ancient Greece

[Angelo]

Archaeologists Find Evidence Of Brain Surgery In Ancient Greece
March 11, 2008 10:03 p.m. EST



Nidhi Sharma - AHN News Writer
Athens, Greece (AHN) - Brain surgery was performed nearly 1,800 years ago in Greece, archaeologists said Tuesday after they unearthed the skeleton of a young woman from the 3rd Century CE.

The skeleton has a large hole on the front of the skull, above the eyes, which the archaeologists believed was caused by an apparently failed brain surgery.

The archaeologists added that the young woman died during or shortly after the operation. Though references to brain surgery have been found in ancient writings, this is the first evidence of an actual patient.

The woman's skeleton was found during a rescue dig last year in Veria, a town some 46 miles west of Thessaloniki.

Archaeologists Find Evidence Of Brain Surgery In Ancient Greece | March 12, 2008 | AHN

[Napalm]

Just because this case was deemed a failure doesn't mean there weren't successful ones. They might find the skeletal remains of a body with a circular hole that showed signs of fusion (healing) one day.

What I find interesting about modern medicine is that it either has really high tech methods of diagnosis like MRIs, CAT Scans, Ultrasound etc. or it has good old fashion hands on techniques. The latter is still very similar to the days of Hippocrates.

[Prokomenos]

All I know is brain surgery in the ancient times was definately a killer. I think you were probably better off dying instead of getting an open brain surgery.