Trepanation: “Brain Surgery”

One of the earliest surgeries interestingly involved the head and can be thought as a form of brain surgery. Trepanation was an ancient practice that involved boring of holes in the skull. The practice dates back to the Neolithic period which was 12,000-4,000 years ago and it appears to have been practiced in several different civilizations. Apparently, 5-10% of all skulls found from the Neolithic period from around the world show signs of trepanation. After the Stone Age, it was most commonly practiced in ancient China and South America, and the practice continued in Europe through the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

The name is derived from the Greek word trypanon, which means "a borer." It is believed that trepanation was done to treat various ailments including head injuries, epilepsies, and blood clots. It may also have been some form of tribal ritual to cleanse the body of evil spirits, particularly of the mentally ill. Hippocrates gives the most detailed account of trepanation including reasons for doing it, which included allowing stagnant blood to flow out to avoid decay and pus. Besides head injuries, trephining was a common therapy for epilepsy and mental illness well into the 18th century.
Although trepanation was not always successful, it appears that several people survived the procedure.

Although it is no longer a common surgical procedure, the practice of boring holes in the skull continues in the modern times. The closest thing to trepenation in modern medicine is craniotomy, in which the surgeon makes a hole in the skull or removes part of the skull temporarily to expose the brain for surgery.

Sources:

https://www.livescience.com/62591-trepanation-explained.html

https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/hole-in-the-head-trepanation/
https://www.reboundmd.com/news/what-craniotomy-and-what-it-used-treat

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