Ambroise Pare´: His Contribution to the Future Advancement of Neurosurgery and the Hardships of His Times Affecting His Life and Brilliant Career

Excerpt

Ambroise Paré (c. 1510e1590; Figure 1) was a prominent and celebrated surgeon of the Renaissance, considered by many to be the founder of modern surgery.1,2 He was a leading innovator who was responsible for the advancement of most surgical techniques and medical education in the 16th century. He also promoted empirical observation and scientific thinking, establishing a methodology for evidence-based medicine that modern anatomy, surgery, and neuroscience uses today.3 However, Paré’s influence on neurological surgery remains far less known than his contributions to surgery. During the 16th century Renaissance, a wide range of new medical methodologies and education, innovative surgical techniques, and scientific publications became possible.4 Nevertheless, outmoded Galenic views of anatomy, medical knowledge, and medical education dominated medicine....