Military medical advances resulting from the conflict in Korea, Part II: Historic clinical accomplishments.

Throughout the recorded history of civilization, there has been armed conflict. Warfare has been associated with advances in care for the wounded. Many of these advances when shown effective on the battlefield become incorporated into civilian health care. It is a laboratory where there is unfortunately much clinical material and presents opportunity for the creative, curious, and innovative. This article reviews the medical advances that resulted from the Korean War. There were notable advances in neurosurgery, vascular surgery, and plastic surgery. Tools from prior wars were rediscovered, dusted off, and used to stop combat losses from psychiatric trauma. A treatment was developed for cleft lip by a plastic surgeon, thus giving hope to young lives. War is a disruptive, destructive, and harrowing experience--but can lead to improvements in care for the wounded and these developments can improve the lives of people everywhere.