Biomaterial Database

Emil Theodor Kocher: the first Swiss neurosurgeon. 2012

Gerhard Hildebrandt, and Werner Surbeck, and Martin N Stienen

Clinic for Neurosurgery, Kantonsspital St.Gallen, Switzerland. gerhard.hildebrandt@kssg.ch

BACKGROUND Emil Theodor Kocher (1841-1917) was elected as head of the university clinic for surgery in Berne, Switzerland at the age of 31 years. During the 45 years of his professorship he became one of the outstanding surgeons of Europe by using surgical techniques based predominately on physiological and biological ideas. The aim of this article was to highlight his neurosurgical achievements published in the German language. METHODS The illustrations of Kocher's works in the field of neurosurgery are exclusively based on his publications and works published by his co-workers. RESULTS Kocher received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1909 because he devoted himself to intense research and development in the pathophysiology and surgical treatment of diseases of the thyroid gland. His particular neurosurgical interests were in cerebral and spinal trauma, operative treatment of epilepsy and the pathophysiology of elevated intracranial pressure. CONCLUSIONS Studies of Kocher's contributions, published exclusively in the German language, lead to the conclusion that Kocher must be designated as the first Swiss neurosurgeon.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009445	Neuroanatomy	Study of the anatomy of the nervous system as a specialty or discipline.	Neuranatomy,Neuranatomies,Neuroanatomies
D009482	Neurophysiology	The scientific discipline concerned with the physiology of the nervous system.
D009493	Neurosurgery	A surgical specialty concerned with the treatment of diseases and disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral and sympathetic nervous system.	Neurosurgeries
D009613	Nobel Prize	Any of six international prizes awarded annually for outstanding work in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, economics and the promotion of peace.	Prize, Nobel
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013557	Switzerland	A country in Europe. It is bordered by Austria, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Germany. The capital is Bern.
D049672	History, 19th Century	Time period from 1801 through 1900 of the common era.	19th Century History,19th Cent. History (Medicine),19th Cent. History of Medicine,19th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 19th Century,History of Medicine, 19th Cent.,History, Nineteenth Century,Medical History, 19th Cent.,Medicine, 19th Cent.,19th Cent. Histories (Medicine),19th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 19th (Medicine),Cent. History, 19th (Medicine),Century Histories, 19th,Century Histories, Nineteenth,Century History, 19th,Century History, Nineteenth,Histories, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 19th Century,Histories, Nineteenth Century,History, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Nineteenth Century Histories,Nineteenth Century History
D049673	History, 20th Century	Time period from 1901 through 2000 of the common era.	20th Century History,20th Cent. History (Medicine),20th Cent. History of Medicine,20th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 20th Century,History of Medicine, 20th Cent.,History, Twentieth Century,Medical History, 20th Cent.,Medicine, 20th Cent.,20th Cent. Histories (Medicine),20th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 20th (Medicine),Cent. History, 20th (Medicine),Century Histories, 20th,Century Histories, Twentieth,Century History, 20th,Century History, Twentieth,Histories, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 20th Century,Histories, Twentieth Century,History, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Twentieth Century Histories,Twentieth Century History