THE OTHER WAY TO TEST A NOVEL SURGICAL PROCEDURE
 
Those who forget history are condemmed to repeat it
 

Yes, it is not nice to see an experiment like the one performed by us. But the only other way to test the feasibility of our hypothesis would be to look for a human volunteer, explain to him/her the risks, and then proceed.
Let me show you an example of that way to do it.

Between 1917 and 1921, the First World War produced thousands of men deformed by war injuries. Plastic surgery did not exist at that time and the knowledge was got by this way (performing novel procedures in desperate volunteers), like in this pilot burned in 1916.
                 

Dr. Gillies (Father of the modern plastic surgery) was attempting to change the complete skin of the face of him transferring the skin from the anterior part of the neck and upper chest to the face, as is shown in the next drawing.

       
There is not doubt, it was a wonderful idea never tested before, and according to Dr. Gillies knowledge and previous experiences it made sense. He proceeded, as is shown in the next sequence o pictures taken from his medical records keept in the Gillies Archives of the Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, UK.
     
     
   

     
     
   
             

18/2/18
           
   
                               

Excuse me but I do not think this is the way to test the fallibility of a new surgical procedure today. Human beings are more important than animals, and I rather test a new surgical procedure in non volunteering animals than in volunteering and needed human beings.

It is because fear to criticism that many surgeons prefer to test their new surgical procedures in humans (elaborating complex arguments to justify it) instead of doing it in animals.

There should be an FDA for the surgical procedures also.

LUIS BERMUDEZ.

PICTURES PRESENTED IN THIS PAGE WERE TAKEN WITH PERMISSION FROM THE GILLIES ARCHIVES AT THE QUEEN MARY'S HOSPITAL, SIDCUP, UK.