Robert Liston's "Two and a Half Minute Amputation" (1847)

⚰️ Robert Liston's "Two and a Half Minute Amputation" (1847)

🩸 A Surgery So Fast... It Killed Three People

Robert Liston was a renowned 19th-century British surgeon, famous for being the fastest knife in the West End. Speed was critical in pre-anesthesia days to reduce pain and shock. But in one particular case, his speed and zeal turned deadly.

🔪 The Procedure:

The surgery was a leg amputation.

Liston completed it in 2.5 minutes, but in the rush:

He accidentally amputated the patient's testicles.

He also sliced off the fingers of his assistant.

A spectator died of shock, allegedly fainting and having a heart attack.

The patient and assistant both died later from sepsis (infection).

🪦 The Toll:

Three deaths in one operation.

It’s sometimes (half-jokingly) called “the only surgery in history with a 300% mortality rate.”