William Stewart Halsted

William Stewart Halsted (b. September 23 1852 in New York City; d. September 7 1922 in Baltimore, Maryland) is known as the father of American surgery. Founder of the American residency training system of progressive responsibility, he is also well known for his many other medical and surgical achievements. As one of the first proponents of hemostasis and investigators of wound healing, Halsted pioneered the modern surgical fundamental principles of absolute control of bleeding, accurate anatomical dissection, complete sterility, exact approximation of tissue in wound closures without excessive tightness, and gentle handling of tissues. The first radical mastectomy for breast cancer was performed by Halsted. Other achievements include advances in thyroid, biliary tree, hernia, intestinal, and arterial aneurysm surgeries.

Eponyms

• Halsted's law - Transplanted tissue will grow only if there is a lack of that tissue in the host.
• Halsted's operation I - Operation for inguinal hernia.
• Halsted's operation II - Radical mastectomy for cancer of the breast.
• Halsted's sign - A sign for carcinoma of the breast.
• Halsted's suture - A matress suture for wounds that produced less scarring.