The deadliest operation in the world cost 3 people their lives

Sometimes the scalpel can be the only means of relief or healing. In some cases, this is a routine procedure, in others, it can be a much more complicated, rare or even dangerous but life-saving operation. In the case of Robert Liston, the operation was not only life-threatening for the patient but for the staff and observers as well.

A bypass should not be this dangerous

In the best-case scenario, an operation saves lives. Take the coronary artery bypass, for example. According to Deximed, the procedure allows patients with 'coronary heart disease to improve their life expectancy, and in some cases, heart attacks can be prevented'.

However, the operation is not entirely without risk; in the worst-case scenario, the patient may die. As per Stars Insider:

Coronary artery bypasses are particularly dangerous, even in the field of heart surgery. During the operation, new veins and arteries are grafted around the heart and placed as a bypass around the patient's thinning, unhealthy arteries. If something goes wrong, it can lead to strokes, heart failure and even death for the patient.

Historically, Dr. Robert Liston, from the UK, caused three people to die as a result of the very same operation in the early 19th century.

Speed kills

According to SWR, the surgeon could boast of being the 'fastest surgeon in the world' at the time. He is said to have once amputated a man's leg at record speed (25 seconds). The state broadcasting corporation also provides the reason for the speed of his work:

Before the introduction of anesthesia in 1846, surgeons were under pressure to complete the operation before the patient succumbed to the shock of pain.

However, the quick handling of instruments also has its pitfalls. As Stars Insider reports, the Brit is said to have been a little careless during another operation and 'accidentally ripped off a few fingers' that belonged to his assistant during an amputation. This in turn caused an observer to go into shock, as a result of which he died.

The assistant and the patient being treated were also unlucky: both succumbed to an infection as a result of the operation. Fortunately, times have changed and some important operations now last several hours.

This article has been translated from Gentside DE.

Read more:

⋙ This girl underwent brain surgery while fully awake, here’s her freaky description of what it was like

⋙ This woman left traumatized after waking up during surgery 'I was screaming, but in my head'

Sources used:

Stars Insider: These are the most dangerous surgeries in the world

Deximed: Bypass surgery of the heart (coronary artery bypass)

SWR: Who was the fastest surgeon in the world?