Trepanation (also known as trepanning, trephination, trephining or burr hole) is surgery in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the skull, thus exposing the dura mater in order to treat health problems related to intracranial diseases, though in the modern era it is used only to treat epidural and subdural hematomas and for surgical access for certain other neurosurgical procedures, such as intracranial pressure monitoring.
Trepanation was carried out for both medical reasons and mystical practices for a long time: evidence of trepanation has been found in prehistoric human remains from Neolithic times onwards, per cave paintings indicating that people believed the practice would cure epileptic seizures, migraines, and mental disorders.[1] In prehistoric times, trepanation was thought to cure diseases by letting evil spirits escape. The bone that was trepanned was kept by the prehistoric people and worn as charms to keep evil spirits away.
The modern medical procedure of corneal transplant surgery also uses a technique known as trepanning or trephining. This operation, however, is conducted on the eye (not the skull), with an instrument called a trephine.
Last update: 2008-05-06 13:31:00 Trepanation | Copyright 2008 HubHip.com