Browse Exhibits (1 total)

Plastic surgeons operate on the entire body, from the scalp to soles of the feet. Its primary aims are to improve function and appearance. For centuries in Asia and Europe, plastic surgery had been performed to improve the appearance of patients mutilated by disease or by punishment for crime. During the past two centuries plastic surgeons have pioneered many innovative techniques that today are used in all of types of surgery. Though Boston has always been considered a major center of American medicine, it is not widely known for its contributions to plastic surgery. But in fact, Boston has been the location of many "firsts" in plastic surgery. Plastic Surgery has been a critical part of the city's rich medical history and has contributed in its unique way to establish Boston as a vital center of American medicine. This exhibit explores the role played by Boston physicians such as J. Mason Warren, George H. Monks, Varaztad H. Kazanjian, Bradford Cannon, and Joseph E. Murray in the history of plastic surgery.