Abstract

FERNANDEZ-JUAREZ, Gerardo. Surgery and Amerindian peoples: an intercultural challenge. Rev. perú. med. exp. salud publica [online]. 2010, vol.27, n.1, pp.102-113. ISSN 1726-4634.

Many cultures have performed the cutting and excision of the human anatomy under contexts that we consider magical or religious; nevertheless, the will to offer recovery to people in their diseases, progressively transformed these cuttings into procedures aimed at the extraction of their causes, known as surgery. However, that didn’t imply a replacement but a different sight of how to provide health, that is why there are still gaps between that "symbolic surgery" and the one practiced in occident. In this review we offer a description of the vision of diverse communities regarding surgery, and some anecdotes of how it has influenced, modified or rejected the application of modern surgery.

Keywords : Cultural competency; History of medicine; Surgery; Cultural diversity; Traditional medicine.

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