World journal of surgery
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World journal of surgery · Aug 2014
Biography Historical ArticleInsights into Avicenna's contributions to the science of surgery.
An influential Persian scholar of the Islamic Golden Age of Medicine (from the ninth to the twelfth centuries AD), Ibn-e Sina (AD 980-1037), also known by the Latinized name Avicenna, is best remembered for his contributions to various aspects of medicine, particularly surgery. In fact, the art of surgery was a major focus of his attention and practice, and one to which he devoted several chapters of his main medical encyclopedia, Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine). This article presents a brief review of Avicenna's life, introduce his textbook of medicine, and present his significant contributions to the science of surgery.
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Global surgery, while historically a small niche, is becoming a larger part of the global health enterprise. This article discusses the burden of global surgery, emphasizing the importance of addressing surgical needs in low- and middle-income countries. ⋯ It emphasizes the crucial role of preparation for global surgical interventions as a way to maximize benefits as well as minimize harms and ethical challenges. It ends with the cautionary statement that preparation does not eliminate ethical problems, so surgical volunteers must be prepared not only for the technical challenges of global surgery but also for the ethical challenges.