On the history of modern tonsillectomy: the contribution of Nikolaos Taptas

The earliest reports on removal of the entire tonsil using a method of careful dissection came in the early 1900 s by American and British otorhinolaryngologists. These descriptions are credited as the first of the so-called modern tonsillectomy. In this report we present a technique of tonsillectomy conceived by Nikolaos Taptas, a Greek physician and citizen of the Ottoman Empire, which was introduced at the same period with the ones previously mentioned. Taptas practiced his technique in the very early 1900 s. He used his own instruments and reported excellent post-operative results with very few complications. He should therefore be considered among the pioneers of modern tonsillectomy.