Surgery Saved the Day

Surgery Saved the Day

Contributor(s):
Spencer, Steven M.
Saturday Evening Post
Publication:
Curtis Publishing Company, 1953
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Hydrocephalus
General Surgery
Pediatrics
Genre(s):
Archival Materials
Articles
Abstract:
In the early 1950s Koop pioneered the use of a shunt for draining excess cerebrospinal fluid from the brain (called hydrocephalus, or "water on the brain") into the peritoneal cavity (located in the lower abdomen), thereby preventing an abnormal enlargement of the head and resulting mental retardation. In his autobiography, Koop recounts that after reports of his successful treatment appeared in the media, reports such as this one in The Saturday Evening Post, parents from all parts of the country arrived at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, some of them by house trailer, in search of relief for their hydrocephalitic children.
Copyright:
This item may be under copyright protection; contact the copyright owner for permission before re-use.
Extent:
4 pages
NLM Unique ID:
101584930X570 (See in Profiles in Science)
Profiles in Science ID:
QQBCJW
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101584930X570
Archival Collection:
The C. Everett Koop Papers (Profiles in Science)