Surgeons in ancient India could do plastic surgery, says Venkaiah Naidu

Indian history is replete with those who have significantly advanced human knowledge, with surgeons from the era capable of performing complex medical procedures like cataract and plastic surgery, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu said in Kochi on Monday.

He said besides surgeons, many scientists, mathematicians, physicians, chemists, metallurgists, astronomers and a number of innovators in ancient India have significantly advanced human knowledge.

Naidu was addressing a function organised to honour young scientists in Kalady, the birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya, about 45 km from here.

"One recalls a number of such illustrious names like Aryabhata, Pingala, Brahmagupta, Bhaskara, Varahamihira, Charaka and Sushrutha. India gave the concept of zero and the binary system to the world, " he said.

"We knew how to make steel alloys and smelt zinc. Our ancient surgeons could conduct many complicated surgeries, including plastic surgery and cataract surgery," he said.