Emil Theodor Kocher | |
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Born | Bern, Switzerland | 25 August 1841
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) |
Signature | |
Emil Theodor Kocher (25 August 1841 – 27 July 1917) was a Swiss physician and medical researcher who received the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work in the physiology, pathology and surgery of the thyroid.[1][2] Among his many accomplishments are the introduction and promotion of aseptic surgery and scientific methods in surgery, specifically reducing the mortality of thyroidectomies below 1% in his operations.
Kocher was the first Swiss citizen and first surgeon to ever receive a Nobel Prize in Medicine. He was considered a pioneer and leader in the field of surgery in his time.[3]