Professor Theodor Kocher (1841–1917) – one of the founders of european scientific surgery (on the 100th anniversary of death)

The main milestones in the life and work of T. Kocher are presented. Illuminated little-known interesting facts from the life of a professor. T. Kocher studied the problems of asepsis and antisepsis, abdominal surgery, thyroid surgery, traumatology. He deepened his teaching of the antisepsis and asepsis, introduced the concept of Implant Infection. It is noted that Kocher has developed sterilization methods suture material. He suggested operative access to the liver and biliary tracts, an original method of gastrectomy, methods for mobilizing the duodenum, surgical treatment of inguinal hernias, which are now described in textbooks. He also developed gentle surgical approaches for the procedure on large joints (hook-shaped incisions). The reduction of shoulder dislocations according to Kocher became a part of the daily practice of surgeons and traumatologists. T. Kocher's research on the problems of diseases of the thyroid gland is world famous. T. Kocher was awarded the 1909 Nobel Prize for his work on the physiology, pathology and surgery of the thyroid gland. He proposed some surgical instruments (hemostatic clamp, grooved probe, gastric clamp, etc.), a gastric tube was put into practice. The published manual on operative surgery has survived 5 reprints (1892–1907) and has been translated into many world's languages.

1. Garre G. Theodor Kocher. Deutsche Medizinishe Wochenschrift. 1917; 34: 1111–1124.

2. Tauber A.S. Sovremennyye shkoly khirurgii [Modern schools of surgery]. Sankt-Peterburg, 1893, V. III. 391 p. (In Russian)

3. Sauerbruch F. Theodor Kocher. Munchen. Med. Wochenschrift. 1918; 3: 78–92.

4. Posnovskiy A.A. Theodor Kocher (On the 50th anniversary of his death). Pirogov Russian Journal of Surgery = Khirurgiya. Zhurnal imeni N.I. Pirogova. 1968; 4: 148–151. (In Russian)

5. Kuznetsov M.M. Pis'ma iz-za granitsy [Letters from abroad]. Letopis' russkoy khirurgii. 1897; 4–6: 698–732. (In Russian)

6. Mirotvortsev S.R. Stranitsy zhizni [Pages of life]. Leningrad: Medgiz, 1956. 57 p. (In Russian)

7. McGreevy P.S., Miller F. A. Biography of Theodore Kocher. Surgery. 1969; 65 (6): 990–999.

8. Krupskaya N.K. Vospominaniya o Lenine [Memories of Lenin]. Moskva: Partizdat, 1932. 201 p. (In Russian)

9. El'shteyn N.V. Meditsina i vremya [Medicine and time]. Tallinn: Valgus, 1990. 352 p. (In Russian)