Vol. 8, Issue 5 (2019)

Author(s):
Dr. Maya Mukundan

Abstract:
Acharya Susrutha is renowned as the first surgeon in the world to schematize surgical instruments and define their qualities, defects, detailed applications in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and methods of manufacture and preservation. Susrutha Samhitha, which is the major surgical text from the Vedas, gives the explanation regarding 101 blunt (yantra) and 20 sharp (sastra) instruments. It has been observed that most of the surgical instruments of the present day hold astounding resemblance with the ancient surgical instruments. The present paper gives a description regarding the sastra or sharp surgical instruments explained by Acharya Susrutha and their influence in the design of modern surgical instruments. The study has helped to provide evidence that the basic design of the current surgical instruments might have evolved from the ancient surgical instruments.