Colorectal Quiz Episode 37: The Yancey-Soave story of the original surgical descriptions for Hirschsprung disease

Swenson described the first operation for Hirschsprung disease in the 1940s, which involved a full thickness rectal dissection. To respond to complications related to the dissection adjacent to the rectal wall, several surgeons came up with alternative approaches. Duhamel in 1956 published his technique whereby he left behind the original rectum and mated it to a pulled through segment of colon. A submucosal dissection leaving behind the external rectal wall was the next idea – and this was published by two surgeons. The one we know best is Soave, who published his approach in 1964. Dr. Asa Yancey 12 years earlier, in 1952, published the submucosal technique for Hirschsprung disease ultimately in the Journal of the National Medical Association. He had been denied publication in the most widely read journal of his day because of the color of his skin. This podcast discusses this aspect of pediatric surgical history and promotes a new way to honor both surgeons for their contributions.