Heroes of a Moment

John C. Hall

The History of Body Cavity Surgery

Heroes of a Moment details the most productive period in the history of surgery. Anaesthesia and antisepsis made it possible to explore the contents of the abdomen, chest, and skull. However, even in the early part of the twentieth century, these main cavities of the body were only invaded by the most adventurous surgeons.

Once the mechanics of operating had advanced, science and technology became the drivers for change. These changes were reflected in the equipment used by surgeons, the architecture of hospitals, and the nature of being a surgeon. The expansion in manufacturing that occurred after World War II fuelled a new era of open body cavity surgery.

Another big advance occurred in the 1990s when the rapid uptake of laparoscopic cholecystectomy generated the ‘escape velocity’ needed to progress minimal access surgery. At the end of the nineteenth century, surgeons used cutlery; by the twenty-first century, they were looking at digital images and flirting with robots.

 

About the Author

John Hall grew up in St. Kilda and graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1969. He became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1976 before working in England as a registrar at the Essex County Hospital and a Fellow in Oncology at the University of Leeds. He became a Lecturer at Flinders University of South Australia before being appointed to the University Department of Surgery at Royal Perth Hospital in 1985.

In 1996 Professor Hall became the John Mitchell Crouch Fellow - the premier research award of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He served terms as Chairman of the Division of Surgery at Royal Perth Hospital and Head of Surgery for the University of Western Australia. He became the Interim Dean of Education for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons to facilitate its progression from a credentialing body into an educational institution. He was the Editor-in-Chief of the ANZ Journal of Surgery between 2007 and 2011.

Professor Hall was awarded the Sir Louis Barnett Medal from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons for ‘outstanding contributions to education, training and the advancement of surgery’. Professor Hall retired in 2012 and is now an Emeritus Consultant at Royal Perth Hospital and an Emeritus Professor for the University of Western Australia.