The French public television network ARTE has released a documentary titled "Histoire de la chirurgie," which traces the evolution of surgical practice [1].
This historical overview provides a critical look at how medical interventions transitioned from intuitive, often painful attempts at survival to the precise science of modern operating rooms. By examining the milestones of human anatomy and trauma care, the film illustrates the persistence of medical innovation across millennia [2].
The documentary begins by exploring the earliest known surgical interventions. According to the program, trepanations, the practice of drilling holes into the skull, were performed as far back as 130,000 years ago [1]. These ancient procedures highlight a period where surgery was born from a mixture of intuition and fundamental discoveries [2].
From these prehistoric origins, the film follows the development of medical techniques through the eras of ancient Greece and Rome. It specifically highlights the contributions of Ambroise Paré, who is often regarded as the father of modern surgery [3]. Paré's work shifted the approach to wound treatment and surgical care, moving the field toward more systematic and humane practices [3].
ARTE has made the documentary available for streaming on YouTube to educate a wider audience on these medical milestones [1]. The network said that the film explores how humanity dared to open the body to survive [2].
Viewers can access the replay of the documentary until Aug. 7, 2026 [1].
“Trepanations were performed 130,000 years ago.”
The documentary contextualizes modern medicine not as a sudden leap in technology, but as a cumulative process of trial and error spanning 130,000 years. By linking prehistoric trepanations to the systematic reforms of Ambroise Paré, the work emphasizes that the fundamental drive to intervene physically in the human body to save lives has remained constant despite the evolution of tools and ethics.
