Plastic surgery has origins in ancient India dating back 2500 years, as described in early medical texts like the Atharva Veda and Sushruta Samhita. Sushruta is considered the father of plastic surgery in India. The Sushruta Samhita, written in 600 BC, describes various reconstructive procedures like rhinoplasty and skin grafts. It provides details of over 300 surgical procedures and 120 medicinal plants. Taxila in ancient India was a major center of medical learning and is where Sushruta and Charaka, contributors to early Indian medicine, may have studied. The techniques described in ancient Indian texts still form the basis of modern plastic and reconstructive surgery practices.

1. Plastic Surgery
in
Ancient India
By
Prashant Kumar - 11740670

2. What is Plastic Surgery??
◦ The word Plastic is derived from Greek word "Plasticos" which means "to
form "or " to mould ".
◦ According to Cambridge Dictionary, Plastic Surgery is
"a medical operation to bring a damaged area of skin, and
sometimes bone, back to its usual appearance, or to improve a
person's appearance" .
◦ Plastic surgery is performed in order to improve person's appearance by
both reconstructive and cosmetic procedure .

3. How old is this knowledge?
Brahma evolved
Ayurveda Daksha Prajapati Ashwini Kumars Lord Indra
Sage Bharadwaja Atreya
Jivaka
Six other pupil
King Divadaasa Shusruta
Note: Text origin of the knowledge of Surgery and medicine is still Atharva Veda.

4. First Descriptions
• Root of Cosmetics and
reconstructive procedures go
back more than 2500 years.
• Atharva Veda is considered to
be the Most oldest authentic
medical book as every other
book mention it as their origin .
• Indian rhinoplasty is described
by Sushruta Samhita which was
compiled in 600 BC.

5. Father of Indian
Plastic Surgery
◦ Sushruta is regarded as the father of
surgery in India.
◦ His contributions include:
1. Rhinoplasty
2. 15 different types of otoplasty.
3. Cheek flap for reconstruction
4. Use of leeches to avoid blood clotting.
5. And a lot more...

6. Sushruta Samhita
◦ It is an ancient text on medicine
and surgery (in Sanskrit).
◦ It includes historically unique
chapters describing surgical
training, instruments and
procedures.
◦ Its authorship goes to Sushruta.
◦ Mainly divided into two parts –
1. First five chapters (Sutra-
sthana, Nidana-sthana, Sarira-
sthana, Cikitsa-sthana, Kalpa-
sthana)
2. Last section (Uttaratantra)

7. Cont..
◦ The Sushruta Samhita describes about more than 1,100 diseases, the use
of hundreds of medicinal plants, and instructions for performing scores of
surgical procedures - including three types of skin grafts and
reconstruction of the nose.
◦ First written records about forehead flap rhinoplasty is also this book and
this a technique still used to reconstruct the nose.
◦ The era in which shusruta took surgery to admirable heights was later
regarded as "Golden Age of Surgery".

8. In Sushruta Samhita he describes the free-graft
rhinoplasty as follows:
"The portion of the nose to be coveredshould be first measured with a leaf. Then, a piece
of skin of the required size should be dissected from the living skin of the cheek, and
turned back to cover the nose, keeping a small pedicleattached to the cheek. The part of
the nose to which the skin is to be attached should be made raw, by cutting the nasal
stump with a knife. The physicianthen should place the skin on the nose and stitch the two
parts swiftly, keeping the skin properly elevated, by inserting two tubes of the castor-oil
plant in the position of the nostrils, so that the new nose has proper shape. The skin thus
properly adjusted, it should then be sprinkled with a powder of liquorice,red sandal-wood,
and barberry plant. Finally, it should be coveredwith cotton, and clean sesame oil should be
continually applied. When the skin has united and granulated, if the nose is too short or too
long, the middle of the flap should be divided,and an endeavour made to enlarge or
shorten it". (Sushruta Samhita 1.16)

9. Translated Sushruta samhita
◦ During the 8th centuray, this book was translated to arabic and then it
made its way to europe.
◦ This Arabic translation, known as the Kitab Shah Shun al-Hindi or
the Kitab i-Susurud
◦ Sushruta is best known for its approach and discussions of surgery.
◦ The first English translation of the Sushruta Samhita was by Kaviraj
Kunjalal Bhishagratna, who published it in three volumes between 1907
and 1916 (reprinted 1963, 2006)

10. Other texts
◦ Historians found some very interesting texts other than Sushruta samhita
describing about the ancient surgeries and medicine.
◦ These other texts are Charaka Samhita ,Bhela Samhita and Harita
Samhita.
◦ But either these texts are found incomplete or in corrupt form.
◦ Charaka Samhita is considered to be one of the two foundational Hindu
texts survived from ancient India. Along with the various techniques and
therapies to cure diseases it also describes about the importance of diet,
hygiene, prevention, medical education, the teamwork of a physician,
nurse and patient necessary for recovery to health

11. Taxila – Centre of
excellence for
teaching
◦ The period of the medical
education that is mentioned is
the 7 years.
◦ Several Buddhist texts
mentioned Atreya (teacher of
jivaka ) to be a professor at
this is university.
◦ Charaka, the Indian father of
medicine is also said to have
studied at this university

12. Summary
◦ Sushruta was the first before all to emphasise on practical training and
experimental and clinical surgery.
◦ Atharvaveda is first text dealing with the medicine and surgery.
◦ Charaka Samhita deals with the medicine and diagnosis.
◦ Taxila was a centre for excellence for all teaching disciplines.
◦ Sushruta and Charaka have contributed a lot in the development of
surgery and medicine in ancient India. Their techniques are still used in
the modern India.

13. THANK YOU

14. References
◦ https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/sushruta-
works-indian-physician-medicine-plastic-surgery-rhinoplasty-nose-job-1559599-
2019-07-01
◦ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushruta_Samhita
◦ Image Source: Google
◦ https://columbiasurgery.org/news/2015/05/28/history-medicine-ancient-
indian-nose-jobs-origins-plastic-surgery
◦ http://www.jpgmonline.com/article.asp?issn=0022-
3859;year=2002;volume=48;issue=1;spage=76;epage=8;aulast=Rana