Until now, history dictated that the oldest surgical intervention was discovered in France and was performed seven thousand years ago. But there is news: a team of researchers from Griffith University in Australia has found evidence that there is, after all, an older surgery. It happened 31,000 years ago and was done to a childon the island of Borneo, Indonesia.
According to the results of an investigation published in the journal Nature, bones of an amputated foot were found, which allowed concluding that more than 30 thousand years ago Sufficient medical knowledge already existed for this type of intervention. In fact, those responsible for the investigation concluded precisely that whoever carried out the intervention had “detailed knowledge of anatomy limbs and muscular and vascular systems to prevent fatal blood loss and infection. “They probably realized the importance of removing the limb in order to survive,” they added.
The remains were found in the tropical Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat region, a mountainous area, inside a cave the size of a cathedral, the researchers say.
Those responsible for the surgery were also careful to ensure the care to be taken in the postoperative period. There are traces of an infection, which may not have occurred after the amputation. Even so, the wound “will have been regularly cleaned and disinfectedperhaps using locally available botanical resources with medicinal properties to prevent infection and relieve pain.”
This discovery then shows the “advanced level of medical expertise developed”, with knowledge of anatomy, physiology and surgical procedures. The published report also hypothesizes that this type of intervention was developed through trial and error.
Source: Observadora
