Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2006;4(3):187-91.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2006.03.002. Epub 2006 May 4.

The magnificent seven: a history of modern thyroid surgery

Affiliations

The magnificent seven: a history of modern thyroid surgery

S Alam Hannan. Int J Surg. 2006.

Abstract

In the mid-19th century, thyroid surgery was regarded as a "proceeding by no means to be thought of" in Britain, "foolhardy" in Europe, and "horrid butchery" in America. By the mid-20th century, thyroid surgery was amongst the most efficient and safest of operations. This transition of modern thyroid surgery over a century was brought about by seven surgeons. The lessons of Theodor Billroth, Theodor Kocher, William Halsted, Charles Mayo, George Crile, Frank Lahey and Thomas Dunhill are to be forever relearned and respected. Let us remember this pantheon of pioneers, these "Magnificent Seven".

PubMed Disclaimer