Emil Theodor Kocher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emil Theodor Kocher
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Emil Theodor Kocher
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| Born | 25 August 1841 Bern, Switzerland
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| Died | 27 July 1917 (aged 75) |
| Known for | Developer of Thyroid surgery |
| Medical career | |
| Profession | Surgeon |
| Institutions | University of Bern |
| Sub-specialties | Thyroid surgery |
| Awards | Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1909) |
Emil Theodor Kocher (born August 25, 1841 – died July 27, 1917) was a famous Swiss doctor and medical scientist. He won the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This award was for his important work on the thyroid gland.
Kocher made many big contributions to medicine. He helped make surgery much safer. He was the first Swiss citizen and the first surgeon to ever win a Nobel Prize in Medicine. People at the time saw him as a leader in surgery.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Growing Up in Switzerland
Theodor Kocher was born in Bern, Switzerland. His father, Jakob Alexander Kocher, was a railway engineer. His mother, Maria Kocher, was a very religious woman. She was part of the Moravian Church. Theodor was the second of their five sons.
When Theodor was four, his family moved to Burgdorf. He started school there. Later, they moved back to Bern. He was a top student in middle and high school. He loved art and classical studies. But in the end, he chose to become a doctor.
Becoming a Doctor
In 1858, Theodor started studying at the University of Bern. He was a very dedicated student. He earned his doctorate degree in 1865. His research was about treating pneumonia.
After graduating, Kocher traveled around Europe. He wanted to learn from the best surgeons. He visited famous doctors in Zürich, Berlin, London, and Paris. He learned many new techniques. He also became fluent in English. This helped him keep up with new science.
Professor of Surgery
When he returned to Bern, Kocher became an assistant doctor. In 1872, the main surgery professor left. Kocher hoped to take his place. The university wanted to hire a German professor. But students, doctors, and the public supported Kocher. They sent petitions and wrote letters.
Because of this strong support, the government chose Kocher. He became a professor of surgery. He also became the director of the University Surgical Clinic at the Inselspital. He was only 30 years old.
Family Life
In 1869, Theodor Kocher married Marie Witschi-Courant. They had three sons. Their home became a gathering place for friends and colleagues. Many of Kocher's patients were also invited to dine with them.
Like his mother, Kocher was very religious. He believed God was behind all his successes. His eldest son, Albert, later followed him into surgery.
On July 23, 1917, Kocher had an emergency surgery. He felt unwell afterward. He died a few days later, on July 27, 1917.
Amazing Career in Medicine
Theodor Kocher was a professor for 45 years. During this time, he helped rebuild the famous Bernese Inselspital. He published 249 scientific articles and books. He trained many doctors and treated thousands of patients.
He made huge contributions to surgery. This included neurosurgery and especially thyroid surgery. His work changed surgery forever.
Safer Surgery Methods
Kocher's success came from three main things. First, he always used antiseptic wound treatment. This stopped infections and saved lives. Second, he carefully watched the anesthesia. He even used local anesthesia for some surgeries. This made operations much safer.
Third, Kocher was very careful to prevent blood loss. He controlled even the smallest bleeding. He believed that blood left in the body could cause infections.
Early Surgical Innovations
Kocher became known internationally in 1870. He developed a new way to fix a dislocated shoulder. His method was less painful and safer. It could be done by one doctor. He used his deep knowledge of anatomy to create it.
He also studied bullet wounds. He showed that smaller, slower bullets caused less harm. He suggested using these types of bullets.
Modernizing Hospitals
Kocher wanted to improve the Bernese Inselspital. The old building was too small and outdated. He visited hospitals across Europe to find new ideas. He wrote a detailed report for the government.
He even used an offer to work in Prague to pressure the government. He said he would only stay in Bern if they built a new hospital. The government agreed to his demands. The new Inselspital was finished in 1885.
Aseptic Surgery Pioneer
Kocher understood the importance of aseptic techniques early on. Aseptic means preventing germs from entering the body. He made sure his clinic followed strict rules. His assistants were very careful about infections. Kocher would investigate every infection to find its cause. He even banned visitors from his surgeries to keep things sterile.
He published many works on aseptic surgery.
Brain Surgery Contributions
Kocher also made big advances in brain surgery, called neurosurgery. He studied head injuries and brain pressure. He looked into surgery for epilepsy. He found that some epilepsy cases were caused by brain tumors that could be removed.
Many famous surgeons visited Kocher's lab. One was the American surgeon Harvey Cushing. Cushing discovered the Cushing reflex while working with Kocher. This reflex shows the link between blood pressure and brain pressure. Kocher also found that removing a piece of the skull could lower brain pressure.
Thyroid Surgery Breakthroughs
When Kocher started his work, thyroid surgery was very dangerous. Some estimates say up to 75% of patients died in 1872. In France, it was even forbidden.
Kocher used modern methods. He used antiseptic treatment and controlled blood loss. His careful and precise surgery style helped reduce the death rate. By 1912, it was less than 0.5%. He performed over 5,000 thyroid surgeries.
Kocher and others later found something important. Removing the entire thyroid gland could cause a condition called cachexia strumipriva. This is now known as cretinism. It happens when the body doesn't have enough thyroid hormones.
Kocher realized that removing the whole thyroid was not a good idea. He shared his findings in 1883. These observations helped doctors understand the thyroid better. They led to treatments for thyroid diseases.
Other Scientific Work
Kocher also published work on many other topics. These included stopping bleeding, treating infections, and gunshot wounds. The money from his Nobel Prize helped him create the Kocher Institute in Bern.
Many surgical tools and techniques are named after him. For example, the Kocher manoeuvre is still used today. He also invented Kocher's Surgical Clamp in 1882. This clamp helps prevent blood loss during surgery.
His main book, Chirurgische Operationslehre (Text-Book of Operative Surgery), was published many times. It was translated into many languages.
During his life, Kocher published 249 articles and books. He guided over 130 doctoral students. He was also the head of the university twice. He helped start the Swiss society for surgery in 1913.
In 1904, he opened a private clinic called "Ulmenhof." Here, he treated wealthier patients, including many from other countries. He even operated on Nadezhda Krupskaya, the wife of Vladimir Lenin.
Lasting Impact
Kocher was a beloved teacher. He taught around 10,000 students. He inspired them to think clearly and logically. Many of his students came from Russia. Because of this, the Russian Geographical Society named a volcano after him.
Many of his students became famous surgeons themselves. This includes the American neurosurgeon Harvey Cushing.
Kocher's name lives on in Bern. There is the Theodor Kocher Institute, Kochergasse (a street), and Kocher Park. There are also busts of him in the Inselspital and Kocher Park.
Named in His Honor
- The Kocher lunar crater on the Moon.
- An asteroid (2087) Kocher.
- The Theodor Kocher Prize for young researchers at the University of Bern. It has been given out every year since 1915.
Medical Terms Named After Him
- Kocher's forceps: A surgical tool to control bleeding.
- Kocher's point: A common entry point for brain surgery.
- Kocher manoeuvre: A surgical move to show structures in the abdomen.
- Kocher–Debre–Semelaigne syndrome: A condition related to low thyroid function in children.
- Kocher's incision: A cut used in gallbladder surgery.
- Kocher's incision II: A cut used in thyroid surgery.
- Kocher's sign: An eyelid symptom seen in hyperthyroidism.
Awards and Honors
- Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1909)
- Honorary FRCS (1900)
- President of Swiss and German medical societies
- Chairman of the first international surgery conference in Brussels (1905)
- Many other honorary memberships and doctorates
Important Works
Kocher published 249 articles and books. Here are some of his most important works:
- Die antiseptische Wundbehandlung (Antiseptic wound treatment; 1881)
- Vorlesungen über chirurgische Infektionskrankheiten (Lectures on surgical infections; 1895)
- Chiruigische Operationslehre (Text-Book of Operative Surgery; 1894)
See also
In Spanish: Emil Theodor Kocher para niños
