Surgeons Who Have Won the Nobel Prize

Abstract

Surgery is practiced at the crossroads of clinical intuition and scientific deduction. Although exigency often dictates that irreversible decisions must be made within the context of incomplete or conflicting data, the “imprecise science” of surgery has demonstrated that astute observation of signs and symptoms and constant reappraisal of the results of therapy can lead to profound insights into the nature of illness. The rhythm of observing protean manifestations of disease, progressing to death or disability unless correctly analyzed and treated, forms the core of a surgeon’s daily life. The relendessness of this march could lead to fatalism when effective treatment is unavailable, or inspire determination to understand and influence the biological forces at work. This determination has characterized the surgeons who have been recognized by the Nobel prize in physiology or medicine. It may seem incongruous that surgeons, with their very workmanlike focus on practical solutions to common problems, would draw accolades from the august world of scientists and academics, but the surgical specialties have produced nine Nobel prize winners in medical science. The reasons for this success are derived from the attributes cultivated in every generation of surgeons: