Surgery and War

In an underground surgery room, behind the front lines on Bougainville, an American Army doctor operates on a U.S. soldier wounded by a Japanese sniper.

12-14-1943

Surgery owes much of its progress to advances made on the front lines of war. Up until the mid-nineteenth century, pain relief was underdeveloped; surgical procedures were undesirable and rarely considered as a form of treatment. However in times of war, wounded soldiers have had very few options and little time to think before requiring amputations or invasive surgery. It is here, where advanced techniques such as the suture is born as an alternative to cauterizations in stopping bleeding.

Operating Theatre

The Gross Clinic

The Gross Clinic, or, The Clinic of Dr. Gross, is an 1875 painting by American artist Thomas Eakins

Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)

The origin of today's Hybrid Operating Room goes back as far as the Operating Theatre; an event space designed to allow the earliest surgeons to perform procedures in front of other surgeons, dressers and invited pupils. At PDS, understanding the historical development of medical spaces is not only fascinating, it is the best way for us to design intelligently. We are currently investigating the future of Surgery from the perspective of hygiene, surgical performance, technological advancement and permanent infrastructure.