Historical Update on the Radical Cure of Hernia, from Lister to Bassini: When Is Subcutaneous Surgery Abandoned and Dissection Surgery Initiated?

Background: The history of radical hernia repair was a period of great activity and may have been influenced by factors of the time. Subcutaneous surgery was modified after the introduction of antisepsis, leading to dissection surgery. Objective: Analyze the publications from the period of radical hernia cure using current methodology, verifying when and how the transition occurred from subcutaneous surgery to dissection surgery. Methods: Literature review of the databases PubMed, LILACS, Cochrane Library; “Google” and university libraries. The following keywords have been used: “anatomy and surgery”. A critical analysis of the known literature about this historical figure is carried out. Results: Under-vision dissection surgery, through incision of the aponeurosis of the external oblique muscle, began in England (Durham, 1866), almost 20 years before it was performed in France (Lucas-Ch., 1885). Recurrences decreased after the introduction of the principle of closing the walls of the inguinal canal (Wood, 1860). This surgeon-anatomist should be considered the first specialist in abdominal wall surgery, due to his extensive contributions from the pre-antiseptic era. The evolution of the radical cure of hernias was made possible by combining the knowledge of several countries: England, Germany, and Italy. Conclusions: There are errors in the references to the period of radical hernia repair. Dissection surgery was initiated in England, Germany, and Italy, not in France. The influence of French literature on the history of hernias is evident, to the detriment of the contributions of surgeons from other countries. Keywords: radical cure of hernias; subcutaneous operation; dissection operation; hernia; surgical treatment; hernia history.