Diseases of the ovaries : their diagnosis and treatment / by T. Spencer Wells.

  • Wells, Spencer, 1818-1897.
Date:
1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Diseases of the ovaries : their diagnosis and treatment / by T. Spencer Wells. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    removed by an incision which does not extend above the umbilicus, ' the probability of success is much greater than when it becomes necessary to extend the incision much above the umbilicus.' If we endeavour to carry on this inquiry, and examine the comparative success of what has been called ' the major opera- tion,' or the ' long or large incision' with the ' minor operation,' or the ' small or short incision,' we are met at once by the diffi- culty that the practice of different operators has also differed in other important steps of the operation. A tumour has been removed entire by an incision from sternum to pubes, the pedicle has been tied by whipcord, the ends of the ligature left as a seton in the peritoneal cavity, and the wound has been united by sutures which have not brought together the whole thickness of the abdominal wall. Another operator would remove a similar tumour after emptying it or breaking it up, through an incision of four to six inches in length below the umbilicus. The pedicle would be fixed between the edges of the wound with its secured end above the skin, and the whole thickness of the abdominal wall would be carefully brought together by sutures passing through its peritoneal coat. It is obvious that the result in the two cases may be affected by other considerations than the length of the incision. So that a mere statistical inquiry as to the results obtained by different operators by incisions of different lengths, could be of very little value—certainly of less value than an equal number of cases by the same operator. Historically, however, the inquiry is of interest, and may be of some importance as a guide to future progress, now that a considerable number of cases by the long and short incision may be compared in the practice of one operator. II. A A