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WJOLS

10.5005/jp-journals-10033-1224
Practice of Laparoscopy Principles from Pages of Ancient History and Mythology
SurgicaL hiStOry

Practice of Laparoscopy Principles from Pages of

Ancient History and Mythology

2
1 Aswini Misro, Naim Kadoglou

ABSTRACT with unmistakable precision, amidst the tumultuous plaudits
It is interesting to note that the practice of same core principles of the multitude gathered in the court.
in the pages of history and mythology. Laparoscopic surgery Similar description is also found in the Greek Mytho­
being a virtual surgery, the surgeon is guided by the camera logy during the beheading of a repugnant demon, Medusa
image rather than actual visual perception. It is intriguing that
some of the gallantry warrior of the past fought and won utilising by Greek demigod Perseus on order of King Polydectes of
the same principle. Seriphus. Medusa was a grotesque looking Gorgon who is
Keywords: Laparoscopy, history, mythology, surgery. said to have venomous snakes in place of locks of hair. This
How to cite this article: misro A, Kadoglou N. Practice of Lapa- demon was almost invincible as the unfortunate ones who
roscopy Principles from Pages of Ancient history and mythology. would gaze into her petrifying eyes would transform into
World J Lap surg 2014;7(2):97. stone and lose their existence. An ingenious Perseus was able
Source of support: Nil to achieve this seemingly impossible task by meticulously
Conflict of interest: None pursuing the demon’s reflection on his shield, gifted by the
goddess Athena while avoiding visual confrontation. Finally,
The principles of laparoscopic and robotic surgery are with a mighty blow, he dismembered her head from her body
fascinating. These have brought unprecedented transforma­ by the ‘adamantine’ sword.
tion in the field of surgery. It is quite interesting to note the Just like an archer envisaging the trajectory of an arrow
practice of same core principles in the pages of history and and power of bow­cord based on real time mirror image
mythology. Laparoscopic surgery being a virtual surgery, information about the distance and movement of a target
the surgeon is guided by the camera image rather than object, a laparoscopy surgeon operates on the organs based
actual visual perception. It is intriguing that some of the on the virtual real time image displayed on the laparoscopic
gallantry warrior of the past fought and won utilizing the monitor. This is titled as hand eye coordination which is the
same principle. essential competency skill for performing these surgeries.

This example is from the Indian epic, Mahabharata. Arena of abdominal compartment is dynamic with peristaltic
Incontrovertibly, Arjun was a most brilliant and stalwart bowels, pulsatile blood vessels, elusive bleeders and mov­
archer of Mahabharata times. A number of princes were ing organs (due to breathing and heart movements), chal­
vying for the hand of a beautiful princess called Draupadi lenging the surgeons to choose the right weapon from their
in the arena of King Drupad. In order to win the hand of armamentarium and operate in the right direction, depth and
the princess, Arjun had to shoot an arrow into a golden fish momentum.
attached to a revolving wheel on the ceiling by viewing at Clarence Darrow said ‘History repeats itself, and that is
its reflection in a pan of water below. Arjun, undeterred and one of the things that is wrong with history’. Whether we
unmoved by all the other warrior’s futile attempts, accom­ call it history or mythology, it is intriguing to note these
plished the task by looking at its reflection in the water below repeats.

1,2 surgeon
1,2 Department of surgery, Ealing Nhs Trust, southall, United
Kingdom

Corresponding Author: Aswini misro, surgeon, Department
of surgery, Ealing Nhs Trust, southall, United Kingdom
e-mail: draswini@gmail.com

World Journal of Laparoscopic Surgery, May-August 2014;7(2):97 97