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One hundred years ago: the physician magician Blakesley presented his ethmoid forceps

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 December 2016

A Mudry ,
W Lübbers  and
W Pirsig
A Mudry*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, California, USA
W Lübbers
Affiliation:
Independent contributor, Hannover, Germany
W Pirsig
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Ulm University, Germany
*
Address for correspondence: Prof Albert Mudry, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, 801 Welch Road, Stanford, CA 94305-5739, USA Fax: 0041 21 323 8325 E-mail: AMudry@ohns.stanford.edu
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Abstract

Background:

The Blakesley fenestrated ethmoid forceps, eponymously named after Theodore Seward Blakesley, belong today in every set of endonasal surgical instruments. This study aimed to go back to Blakesley's original description, and to follow its introduction, variations and acceptation by rhinosurgeons.

Method:

Historical review of literature.

Results:

In 1915, Blakesley described two nasal instruments: a submucous septum resection instrument and an ethmoid instrument. The history of the ethmoid instrument is in close relationship to another quite similar one described by Moriz Weil. The difference between the Weil and the Blakesley ethmoid forceps lies essentially in the base of the cutting jaws, which are narrower in Weil's instrument.

Conclusion:

Blakesley's eponym must only be used for the instrument without the narrower base of the cutting jaws.

Keywords

Ethmoid ForcepsBlakesleyWeilHistoryRhinology

Information

Type
Review Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 130 , Issue 12 , December 2016 , pp. 1086 - 1092
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2016 

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