Ira M Rutkow

Medical historian and surgeon Ira Rutkow points to physical evidence that suggests Stone Age people conducted — and survived — brain surgery. We talk about the evolution of surgery from ancient societies to robotic surgery today. His new book is Empire of the Scalpel.

Rutkow is a surgeon and the author of the book, "Surgery: An Illustrated History." The book has 386 illustrations related to surgery, including documents, photographs, cartoons, drawings and paintings taken from museums throughout the world. Rutkow is consulting editor for surgical history for the Archives of Surgery, founder and surgical director of The Hernia Center in Freehold, N.J., and clinical associate professor of surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. (Rebroadcast)

Dr. Ira Rutkow is a surgeon and the author of the new book, "Surgery: An Illustrated History," (Mosby). The book has 386 illustrations including documents, photographs, cartoons, drawings and paintings related to surgery, taken from museums throughout the world. Rutkow has also written a two-volume history of surgery in the U.S. and has written studies on Civil War surgery. He's also consulting editor for surgical history for the Archives of Surgery. Rutkow is founder and surgical director of The Hernia Center in Freehold, N.J.