Theodor Billroth (1829-1894) and other protagonists of gastric surgery for cancer.

Theodor Billroth was one of the great surgical giants of all time. In Vienna he created one of the finest schools in the history of surgery where he carried out pioneering work in experimental studies, surgical pathology and operative surgery. He pioneered gastric surgery for cancer. In 1881 he carried out the first successful partial gastrectomy for cancer. The first pylorectomy was carried out in 1879 by Jules Péan of Paris but his patient died on the fifth postoperative day.