Supremacy of ShalyaTantra over Modern Surgery

Abstract

Sushrutasamhita describes the ancient tradition of surgery in India and is considered as one of the brilliant texts in ancient Indian medical literature. This treatise contains detailed descriptions of the way of teaching and practice of surgery by our great ancient surgeon, Acharya Sushruta, who had wide knowledge of surgery which has extreme relevance even in today's practice of surgery and other related surgical and medical branches. Sushruta was the famous surgeon of Kashi, known as Banaras. He used to teach and practice around 600 BC and had made significant contributions to various branches ofmedicine. Sushrutasamhita written by him is the foundation of Indian traditional system of medicine and it contains 186 chapters in which he has given description of 1120 diseases, 700 medicinal plants, 64 preparations from mineral sources and 57 from animal sources. He has given precise descrlption of method of dissection, preservation of Cadaver, types of suturing and suture material used, Yantra-Shastra (instruments), minor and major operative procedures, Bhagna (fractures and dislocation), Kaumarbhritya (pediatrics), 7ivak I'ikara (skin diseases), Panchakarma, and many more in addition to his well-known work of plastic surgery. Sushrutasamhita is considered as the landmark in the field of surgery and Acharya Sushruta is glorified as "Father of Indian Surgery". He performed surgeries in an era when no diagnostic facilities were available. Probably, it was his wide knowledge of basic science which made him such a versatile surgeon. The list of his contributions is never ending. In this review an attempt has been made to highlight the ancient surgical concepts of Sushrutasamhita which are being practiqed even today based on same basic principles with later modifications and amendments.