Louis Ombrédanne
Encyclopedia
Louis Ombrédanne was a French pediatric and plastic surgeon born in Paris
. He was the son of general practitioner
Emile Ombrédanne.
In 1902 he became surgeon
to Paris
ian hospitals, becoming a professor of surgery in 1907. From 1921 to 1940 he was head of pediatric surgery at the Hôpital Necker.
Ombrédanne's primary field of research was development of new methods of surgery. In 1906 he was the first to describe the use of the pectoralis minor muscle
for breast reconstruction
following mastectomy
. He also introduced transscrotal
orchiopexy
for surgical repair of an undescended testis.
In 1907 after two fatal anesthetic accidents, Ombrédanne created a prototype of an inhaler
as a safe anesthetic device. It consisted of a tin container as reservoir which was fitted with felt
to absorb ether
, a graduated air inlet and a respiratory reserve chamber. This device was tested successfully on over 300 patients, and design modifications were later made.
In 1929 Ombrédanne provided an early description of malignant hyperthermia
, which he described as pallor with hyperthermia in newborns during anesthesia. This condition was historically referred to as Ombrédanne syndrome.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He was the son of general practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
Emile Ombrédanne.
In 1902 he became surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian hospitals, becoming a professor of surgery in 1907. From 1921 to 1940 he was head of pediatric surgery at the Hôpital Necker.
Ombrédanne's primary field of research was development of new methods of surgery. In 1906 he was the first to describe the use of the pectoralis minor muscle
Pectoralis minor muscle
The pectoralis minor is a thin, triangular muscle, situated at the upper part of the chest, beneath the pectoralis major.-Origin and insertion:...
for breast reconstruction
Breast reconstruction
Breast reconstruction is the rebuilding of a breast, usually in women. It involves using autologous tissue or prosthetic material to construct a natural-looking breast. Often this includes the reformation of a natural-looking areola and nipple...
following mastectomy
Mastectomy
Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. Mastectomy is usually done to treat breast cancer; in some cases, women and some men believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operation prophylactically, that is, to prevent cancer...
. He also introduced transscrotal
Scrotum
In some male mammals the scrotum is a dual-chambered protuberance of skin and muscle containing the testicles and divided by a septum. It is an extension of the perineum, and is located between the penis and anus. In humans and some other mammals, the base of the scrotum becomes covered with curly...
orchiopexy
Orchiopexy
Orchiopexy is a surgery to move an undescended testicle into the scrotum and permanently fix it there. It is performed by a pediatric urologist or surgeon on boys with cryptorchidism, typically before they reach the age of two...
for surgical repair of an undescended testis.
In 1907 after two fatal anesthetic accidents, Ombrédanne created a prototype of an inhaler
Inhaler
An inhaler or puffer is a medical device used for delivering medication into the body via the lungs. It is mainly used in the treatment of asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease . Zanamivir , used to treat influenza, must be administered via inhaler...
as a safe anesthetic device. It consisted of a tin container as reservoir which was fitted with felt
Felt
Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing woollen fibres. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials. Felt can be of any colour, and made into any shape or size....
to absorb ether
Ether
Ethers are a class of organic compounds that contain an ether group — an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups — of general formula R–O–R'. A typical example is the solvent and anesthetic diethyl ether, commonly referred to simply as "ether"...
, a graduated air inlet and a respiratory reserve chamber. This device was tested successfully on over 300 patients, and design modifications were later made.
In 1929 Ombrédanne provided an early description of malignant hyperthermia
Malignant hyperthermia
Malignant hyperthermia or malignant hyperpyrexia is a rare life-threatening condition that is usually triggered by exposure to certain drugs used for general anesthesia; specifically, the volatile anesthetic agents and the neuromuscular blocking agent, succinylcholine...
, which he described as pallor with hyperthermia in newborns during anesthesia. This condition was historically referred to as Ombrédanne syndrome.