Two kinds of surgery

Surgical operations are of two kinds—those that benefit the patient and those that kill him.

Abu al-Qasim Khalaf bin ‘Abbas el-Zahrawi, also known as Albucasis (940-1013)

Submitted by Munier Hossain, staff grade orthopaedic surgeon, Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor

BMJ 2008;336:1051 (10 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.39258.472905.BD