Modern surgery began with saws and iron hands – how amputation transformed the body in the Renaissance

Gunpowder warfare kicked off a new era of invasive surgery and prosthetic technology in Western medicine.

By: Heidi Hausse, Auburn University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: December 21, 2025

Words: 1,560

Last Updated: 3 weeks ago

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By Heidi Hausse, Auburn University

The human body today has many replaceable parts, ranging from artificial hearts to myoelectric feet. What makes this possible is not just complicated technology and delicate surgical procedures. It’s also an idea — that humans can and should alter patients’ bodies in supremely difficult and invasive ways.

Where did that idea come from?

Scholars often depict the American Civil War as an early watershed for amputation techniques and …

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