Surgery
As there were no proper anesthetics like we have today, it was not possible to carry out sophisticated surgery deep inside the human body. However, doctors used opium to induce sleep before operations. Many procedures were learnt from Greek and Roman texts. Surgery was rarely practiced outside hospitals, because of the very high death rate. There were many different types of procedures performed in ancient Islam, especially in the area of ophthalmology.
Ophthalmologists made advances in surgeries of the eye, and treated patients with cataracts and trachoma.
Cauterization (when the skin or the flesh of a wound is burnt) was a common procedure to prevent infection and stem the bleeding of wounds. Doctors heated a metal rod and placed the red-hot metal on the skin or flesh of a wound; the blood would immediately clot and the wound would have a chance to heal.
Bloodletting was used to restore the balance of humors. Blood would be drained from a vein. Sometimes "wet-cupping" was used to draw blood - a small incision is made on the skin and then a heated cupping glass is placed on it.
Ophthalmologists made advances in surgeries of the eye, and treated patients with cataracts and trachoma.
Cauterization (when the skin or the flesh of a wound is burnt) was a common procedure to prevent infection and stem the bleeding of wounds. Doctors heated a metal rod and placed the red-hot metal on the skin or flesh of a wound; the blood would immediately clot and the wound would have a chance to heal.
Bloodletting was used to restore the balance of humors. Blood would be drained from a vein. Sometimes "wet-cupping" was used to draw blood - a small incision is made on the skin and then a heated cupping glass is placed on it.