Catherine Mohr, research surgeon and instructor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, presents a TED talk on the history of surgery and the exciting visions for the future.

The journey begins 10,000 years earlier with the illustration of a trephanated skull and rapidly traverses eons to talk about the seemingly barbaric operations preceding the development of anesthesia. The demonstration of ether as an anesthetic at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 1847 heralded a new era in pain-free surgery, but the triumphs were marred with poor mortality rates. Dr. Mohr then highlights the revolution in surgical outcomes after the introduction of the sterile technique. She briefly discusses laparoscopic surgery and fast forwards to the invention of robotic surgery … and beyond.

To avoid spoiling the whole talk, I will let you view the video and hear for yourself some exciting new developments in the field of surgery.