Health & Fitness

Legends of Surgery

by Tyler Rouse

MedicineHealth & Fitness

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Latest episodes

Episode 116 - The Ilizarov Apparatus

July 14, 2025 · 17 min

In this episode, we will cover Gavriil Ilizarov, the Soviet surgeon who created what is now known as the Ilizarov Apparatus, which is used to heal complex bone fractures and lengthen limbs. We'll discuss his life story, how he made his…
Episode 115 - Sit up and take notice: The Fowler Position

June 14, 2025 · 25 min

In this episode, we will talk about the Fowler position in surgery, its current and historical uses, the person behind the name, and the legend of its development. Along the way, we'll cover the origins of the Red Cross and Geneva…
Episode 114 - "Troubled Masterpiece": The Controversial Pernkopf Atlas

March 16, 2025 · 27 min

In this episode, we'll explore the history of the Pernkopf Atlas, an anatomy text used by surgeons and pathologists worldwide, as well as the life of it's creator, Eduard Pernkopf. He was a professor at the University of Vienna and avowed…
Episode 113 - Better know an instrument: Potts Scissors

February 26, 2024 · 22 min

In this episode, we'll meet the person behind the eponymously named scissors, the American pediatric surgeon Willis J. Potts. We'll cover his contributions to the development of surgery specifically for children, and in particular the…
Episode 112 - The Ongoing History of Surgery: The World's First Whole Eye Transplant

December 12, 2023 · 17 min

In this episode, we will cover the recent story of (possibly) the world's first whole eye transplant that occured in May of 2023, as well as the story of a possible previous attempt in 1969, and the aftermath that followed. The show also…

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Episode 111 - The Code of Hammurabi

November 15, 2023 · 17 min

In this episode, we will explore the history of a nearly 4 millenia old slab of rock which has inscribed on it some of the oldest recorded laws in history, including some that dictated payments for operations, and some severe punishments…
Episode 110 - The Loch Ness Monster and The Surgeon's Photo

February 3, 2023 · 17 min

In this episode, we will explore the legend of the Loch Ness Monster, as well as the surgeon behind a famous photograph of the beast, Robert Kenneth Wilson, a legend in his own right. And of course, we'll go on our usual tangents and side…
Episode 109 - Was Jack the Ripper a surgeon?

December 30, 2022 · 17 min

In this episode, we will explore the question of the identity of the 19th century serial killer based in the London neighborhood of Whitechapel. Specifically, we will consider the evidence provided by some authors that the notorious killer…
Episode 108 - The Michelangelo of Medicine: Frank Netter and the Atlas of Human Anatomy

October 11, 2022 · 14 min

In this episode, we will explore the famous 20th century medical illustrator Frank Netter and his magnum opus, the Atlas of Human Anatomy. While this work is his most famous, many people do not realize that Frank Netter was also a doctor…
Episode 107 - "The Secret"

August 1, 2022 · 12 min

In this episode, we will meet the Chamberlen family, French Huguenots and barber surgeons/male midwives that practiced in England in the 16th and 17th centuries CE. They had a special instrument that could safely deliver babies in cases of…
Episode 106 - From toxin to cure: The story of Botox

June 22, 2022 · 17 min

Initially recognized as a poison in blood sausage by a German country doctor in the 19th century CE, botulinum toxin was isolated and purified during world war II by the American military. It was ophthalmogist Dr. Alan Scott who recognized…
Episode 105 - Better know an instrument: the Yankauer suction tip

May 4, 2022 · 8 min

In this episode, we will cover Dr. Sidney Yankauer, a leader in the development of ENT as a surgical specialty, including the creation of his eponymously named instrument, as well as triumphs and tragedies over the course of his life.

Full episode archive on Apple Podcasts →

About the show

This podcast takes an entertaining and informative approach to telling the stories of the people and events that make up the history of modern surgery.