Hepatobiliary surgery in Taiwan: The past, present, and future. Part I; biliary surgery

In Taiwan, most surgical services were mainly provided by Japanese or Western surgeons before World War II. Tsuchiya Kunita first reported surgical treatment of gallstone diseases in 1915 in Taiwan. After World War II, experienced Japanese surgeons returned to Japan, and well-trained surgeons moved to Taiwan from different hospitals in Mainland China after 1949. In 1954, Liao had reported surgical gallstone diseases treated by cholecytostomy, cholecystectomy, and cholecystogastrostomy or cholecystoduodenostomy from National Taiwan University Hospital (Formos J Surg. 1954;53:833-4). By using of operative cholangiography, diagnosis and removal of intrahepatic stones could be done through choledochostomy reported first by Lee HC from National Defense Medical Center in 1966 and 1968 (Chin Med J ROC. 1966;13:301-8; Chin Med J ROC. 1968;15:124-34). Wei from the National Taiwan University Hospital reported the first left hepatectomy for treating hepatolithiasis on one patient among his series in 1971 (Formos J Surg. 1971;4:178-96). Treatments of hepatolithiasis were well analyzed by Wen and Lee from Triservice General Hospital and Veterans General Hospital in 1972 (Ann Surg. 1972;175:166-77). Hwang was the first to use choledochofiberscope for removing retained stones since 1974 reported from Show Chwan Memorial Hospital in 1978 (Am J Surg. 1978;139:860-4). The first laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed by Huang from Taipei Cathay General Hospital in 1990 in Taiwan (J Formos Med Assoc. 1991;90:893-9). Nowadays, Taiwan hepatobiliary surgeons were extensively using either laparoscopic or robotic surgery for treatment of hepatobiliary diseases.In conclusion, we should never forget the great contributions from many clinics in rural villages hosted by Christian or Catholicism organizations in Taiwan hundred years ago. We should express our appreciations to the history of the evolutions of biliary surgical skills. In Taiwan, a great surgeon today is always standing on the shoulders of our ancient giants, our surgical teachers.