Emil Theodor Kocher (1841-1917): contributions to Medicine and Neurosurgery

Abstract

Theodor Kocher was a great swiss surgeon who worked in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, contributing to several areas of Medicine and being the first surgeon to be awarded a Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1909. During his presidency of the University of Bern’s Surgical Clinic, Kocher became a reference among surgeons in Europe and influenced great names in surgery, such as Harvey Cushing and William Halsted. Moreover, his methodological rigor collaborated with the insertion of the scientific method in medical practice. This review article proposes to revisit his main contributions and discuss how his work influenced the development of current medicine, with emphasis on surgery and pathophysiology of the thyroid, pituitary surgery, and valve surgery for epilepsy.