Maxillofacial Surgery Within the Archive of the Greek Surgeon of the 19th Century Theodoros Aretaios (1829–1893)

Abstract

One of the most important figures of the Hellenic surgery of the 19 ^th century, professor of the Othonian University of Athens, Theodoros Aretaios (1829-1893), portrays in his personal archives a series of surgical operations in the field of maxillofacial surgery. During his career, he operated the following surgical diseases, these are adenosarcomas or inosarcomas of the parotid region, osteofibroma of the sinus antrum, osteosarcomas of the upper and lower jaw, and lycostoma (cleft palate). He was able to perform radical enucleations of the tumorous masses. He reconstructed the area as a plastic surgeon. He had great surgical speed. In addition, the use of modern surgical tools, his ability to drain with catheters surgical wounds, and his skills to manipulate soft tissues, bones, and teeth, resulted in satisfactory outcomes. This historical vignette, by conducting documentary research in Theodoros Aretaios Archives, kept in the National Library of Greece, unveils one more surgical edge of a great surgeon.