Who is known as the 'Father of Surgery' in ancient India?

Sushruta, an ancient Indian physician and surgeon, is known as the "Father of Surgery" (and the "Father of Plastic Surgery").

About Sushruta:

• He is traditionally believed to have lived and taught at Varanasi (Kashi).
• According to tradition, he was a disciple of Divodasa Dhanvantari, a king of Kashi.
• The date of the text attributed to him is uncertain; parts of it may go back to around 600 BCE, though the present text was revised over several centuries.

The "Sushruta Samhita":

• It is one of the most important ancient texts of Ayurveda.
• It is written in Sanskrit.
• It describes more than 300 surgical procedures and more than 120 surgical instruments, made of metal and other materials.
• It describes about 1,100 diseases and many medicinal plants.

Important contributions:

• Rhinoplasty (reconstruction of the nose), using a flap of skin from the cheek or forehead; this technique was later learned by British surgeons in India in the 18th century and influenced modern plastic surgery.
• Cataract surgery ("couching" of the lens).
• Removal of bladder stones.
• Treatment of fractures and dislocations.
• Caesarean section.
• Methods of training surgeons by practising on fruits, vegetables, leather bags and dead animals.
• He also stressed the importance of dissection for learning anatomy.

Honours:

The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons has a statue of Sushruta in Melbourne.

Ayurveda and its main texts ("Brihat Trayi"):

• A text on medicine (internal medicine), attributed to another ancient physician.
• Sushruta Samhita (surgery).
• Ashtanga Hridaya of Vagbhata (a summary of both).

Why not the other options?

• ✗Charaka is known for internal medicine.
• ✗Vagbhata wrote the Ashtanga Hridaya.
• ✗Dhanvantari is the god of Ayurveda.