Cirencester, England — A 16th-century book detailing the earliest known rhinoplasty was discovered at an auction here, the online Daily Mail reports.
The rare work, titled “De Curtorum Chirurgia Per Insitionem” (“The Surgery of Defects by Implantations”), was published in 1597. Its author was Gaspare Tagliacozzi, professor of surgery and anatomy at the University of Bologna.
The book describes operations done to repair soldiers’ facial wounds. Written in Latin, the book is illustrated with diagrams and sketches including one of a rhinoplasty, in which the patient’s nose was attached to a flap of skin from his upper arm.
The book describes how the patient remained in that condition for about three weeks, until the skin from his arm had attached itself properly. After another two weeks, the skin flap was shaped to resemble a nose.
The book also describes ear and lip treatments and includes diagrams of surgical instruments. A plastic surgeon bought the book at the Cirencester auction for £11,000, or about $17,000.
