International Female Surgeon Pioneers: Paving the Way for Generations to Come

Abstract

Many women around the world and throughout history have made tremendous sacrifices to provide surgical care to patients and further advance the field of surgery. In the process, many have become recognized surgeons, leaders, and mentors and continue to make tremendous contributions to the advancement of surgery. Queen Shubad of Ur (circa 3500 BC) may be the first documented female surgeon in history, as she was found buried with bronze and flint surgical instruments. Through the majority of recorded history, women were barred outright from practicing medicine or surgery. Certain fields (pediatrics, obstetrics and internal medicine) opened up earlier to women, but most surgical specialties were deemed too masculine. To circumvent bias, and perform surgery, women often posed as men. Dr. James Barry (1795-1865) was a renowned army surgeon in the United Kingdom, performing the first successful caesarian section in Africa by an Irish surgeon. Only upon death was it discovered that "he" was in fact Dr. Miranda Stewart. She had lived her entire public and private adult life as a male in order to attend the University of Edinburgh medical school and to be able to pursue a surgical career. Elena or Eleno de Cespedes (1545- c. 1588), a Spanish surgeon in the 16th century, grew up as a female Mulatto slave. She practiced for the majority of her career as a male and was even subjected to medical examinations for gender confirmation. In the 19th century, pioneers, such as Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell in the United States and Dr. Emily Jennings Stowe in Canada, opened the doors for women to enter medical school and the surgical profession as women. In the coming years, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker (1832-1919) in the United States and Dr. Vera Gerdroits (1870-1932) in Russia served on the frontlines for their countries as military surgeons. Contemporaries, such as Dr. Angelita Habr-Gama, FACS (H), have paved the way for individualized patient care and nonoperative management in colorectal surgery through robust academic careers. All in all, despite great adversity, female surgeons have challenged societal, academic, and political norms to further the art and science of surgery, to care for patients, and to facilitate a pathway for generations of women who have followed.