Was There Plastic Surgery in Ancient Egypt, India, and Greece?

 

Self-improvement has always been a component of being human.

So it may not be surprising to find out that there was plastic surgery in ancient Egypt, India, and Greece. Of course, it only mildly resembled what we call plastic surgery today.

Even so, the human desire to constantly improve by restoring form and function has made plastic surgery one of the world’s oldest healing arts. Go figure.

Plastic Surgery in Ancient Egypt, India, and Greece

In its early days, the practice of plastic surgery was widely limited to surface issues on the body. This included treating lesions and injuries and alleviating wounds from wars. Yet, there were early stirrings of aesthetic treatments as well. Particularly when it comes to the nose.

Egypt

Plastic surgery in ancient Egypt dates as far back as 1600 BCE and it focussed on reconstructing facial injuries and broken noses. In fact, the ancient Egyptian text known as the Edwin Smith Papyrus has what’s believed to be the first-known mention of techniques for repairing nasal fractures. A bit like an ancient rhinoplasty. So while the focus was widely on repairing the damage, surgeons did utilize splints, lint, swabs, and linen plugs to mold and hold the nose into an aesthetically desirable position.

As something of an aside, the Egyptians were also among the first to use functional prosthetic devices as early as 1069 BCE. They were made from wood and leather. And to ensure deceased rulers would maintain a recognizable appearance in the afterlife, their noses were filled with materials such as small seeds and bones. Not something you’ll find in modern plastic surgery, of course. But still interesting.

India

It turns out that the roots of cosmetic and reconstructive procedures go back more than 2500 years.

By the 6th century BCE in India, a physician by the name of Sushruta was widely regarded as the ‘father of surgery.’ He wrote one of the world’s very first works on surgery and medicine, the Sushruta Samhita. This lengthy tome documented the etiology of more than 1,100 diseases and medicinal uses for hundreds of plants. But it also included instructions on how to perform scores of surgical procedures, including reconstruction of the nose and three types of skin grafts.

During this time, losing one’s nose was a punishment for theft or adultery. So Sushruta figured out and recorded a forehead flap rhinoplasty, where a thick piece of the forehead is used to reconstruct the nose. Versions of this technique still exist today.

Grafts can include both blood vessels and muscles. And they were used in ancient Egypt, as they are today, to restore areas that had lost protective layers of tissue because of burns, infections, and trauma. What’s amazing is that the techniques are all clearly explained in the Sushruta Samhita. So thorough was this text that by the 15th century AD, the Sushruta Samhita was translated into Arabic, and plastic surgery spread through Europe and evolved further.

Greece

During the “Golden Age” in Athens from 480–323 BCE, plastic surgery continued to heavily focus on reconstructive techniques to repair facial injuries and disfigurements as a result of punishment and wars.

By this time, Greek medicine was often influenced by Egyptian and Indian techniques and they advanced the field by developing tools to support a wide range of procedures. The term “plastic” in plastic surgery derives from the Greek word plastikos, which means “to mold” or “to give form.”

Interestingly enough, there are numerous allusions to plastic surgery in Greek mythology. For example, when Achilles provides wound management for Patroclus’ arm during the Trojan War. Or when Hermes sutured the tendons on Zeus’ hands and feet after they’d been torn during the battle of the Titans.

So yeah, plastic surgery has been around a long time.

The Success of Contemporary Plastic Surgery Today Is No Myth

It’s fascinating to consider the early techniques and practices that comprised plastic surgery in ancient Egypt, India, and Greece. Obviously, things have come a long way since then!

So if you’re contemplating a plastic surgery procedure to improve your appearance and boost your confidence, contact us today.

From brow lifts to tummy tucks, breast augmentation to chemical peels, hair restoration to dermal fillers, we’re sure to have some thing(s) that will appeal to you.