Surgeons and medical illustrators: A symbiotic relationship
Abstract
Medical illustration has played a crucial role through the history of modern medicine. When, with the advent of asepsis and anesthesia, complex surgery became possible, surgeons needed illustrators to describe their exploits, and hand-drawn figures were far clearer than early photographs. Today's high-definition image capture is often still not as useful as medical illustrations: rather than faithfully representing reality, medical illustration aims to inform and teach - to be didactic. It does not even have to be high art: we "all" draw in our daily practice, and we can all hone our visual communication skills.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Digital Imaging in Medicine
Empathy and Medical Education
Health Literacy and Information Accessibility
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Pediatric Surgery
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Volume
- 61
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 163012–163012
- Publication date
- 11 February 2026
- Language
- EN