| Although the importance of safety in surgery was | | | | Infection – The concept of infection was unknown |
| recognised from the beginning, the science that | | | | for a long time and nothing was done about it even |
| ensured this evolved slower than the surgical | | | | when it became apparent that the problem existed. |
| procedures themselves. The three main problems in | | | | The view began to change after the work of Pasteur |
| early surgeries were bleeding, pain and infection. These | | | | and Lister in the field of aseptic. |
| were countered in the following ways – | | | | Pain – Surgery was a traumatic experience before |
| Bleeding – Wounds were sealed using extreme | | | | the use of anaesthesia. The first anaesthetics were |
| heat (cauterisation) at first. This was followed by | | | | used in the 1840’s and since then the condition of |
| ligatures to tie off severed blood vessels. Blood | | | | the patient in the operating theatre has improved a lot. |
| transfusion has effectively solved this problem. | | | | |