Pediatric surgery in the Renaissance period

The emergence of surgery during the Renaissance marked the birth of surgery as a discipline based on clinical observation and improvement of technical skill. Some of the most experienced surgeons dealing with pediatric problems were Paré, Phaer, Würtz and, especially, Hildanus, who described more than 150 cases in children. Some minor malformations were curable, and some major anomalies were described for the first time. Renaissance surgeons had no explanations for the etiology of diseases and malformations. In many instances, the imaginatio was considered to be responsible.