Léon Clément Le Fort
Encyclopedia
Léon Clément Le Fort was a French
surgeon
remembered for his work on uterine prolapse
, including Le Fort's operation. He also described Le Fort's fracture of the ankle and Le Fort's amputation of the foot.
under Joseph-François Malgaigne
and Stanislas Laugier
, and was awarded his doctorate
in 1858. He volunteered in the Second Italian War of Independence
from 1859, and became prosector
at the Paris medical faculty in 1861. Between 1865 and 1872 we worked as surgeon to the Paris hospitals Hospice des enfants-assistés, Hôpital du Midi, Hôpital Cochin
, Hôpital Laboisière and Hôpital Beaujon, and was head of a field hospital
in Metz
during the Franco-Prussian War
.
In 1873 he became professor of surgery at the Paris medical faculty and surgeon at Hôtel-Dieu de Paris
. He was awarded the Légion d'honneur
in 1870, and promoted to the rank of Officier in 1882. He was elected member of the Académie Nationale de Médecine
in 1876; he became its president in 1893 but died later in the same year.
Léon Le Fort was the uncle and godfather of French army surgeon René Le Fort
, and the son-in-law of Joseph-François Malgaigne
.
, orthopaedic surgery
, gynaecology
, pregnancy
and military surgery
. He published articles on resection of the kneeDe la résection de genou. (1859) and hip,De la résection de la hanche. (1861) uterine prolapse and its treatment,Des vices de conformation de l’utérus et de vagin et des moyens de remédier. (1863) and pregnancy.Des maternités. (1866) He discovered communication between bronchial and pulmonary vessels
,Recherches sur l’anatomie des poumons chez l’homme. (1858) and was a proponent of asepsis
in hospitals in France and England
before bacteriology was established.Note sur l’hygiène hospitalière en France et en Angleterre. (1862)
A number of Le Fort's descriptions and inventions still bear his name:
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
remembered for his work on uterine prolapse
Uterine prolapse
Uterine prolapse is a form of female genital prolapse Uterine prolapse is a form of female genital prolapse Uterine prolapse is a form of female genital prolapse (also called pelvic organ prolapse or prolapse of the uterus (womb).Treatment is surgical, and the options include hysterectomy or a...
, including Le Fort's operation. He also described Le Fort's fracture of the ankle and Le Fort's amputation of the foot.
Biography
Léon Le Fort undertook medical training in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
under Joseph-François Malgaigne
Joseph-François Malgaigne
Joseph-François Malgaigne was a French surgeon and medical historian born in Charmes-sur-Moselle, Vosges....
and Stanislas Laugier
Stanislas Laugier
Stanislas Laugier was a French surgeon and doctor, practising at the Hôtel-Dieu in Paris, a member of the Institut and of the Académie des Sciences, president and professor of the Académie de Médecine de Paris...
, and was awarded his doctorate
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
in 1858. He volunteered in the Second Italian War of Independence
Second Italian War of Independence
The Second War of Italian Independence, Franco-Austrian War, Austro-Sardinian War, or Austro-Piedmontese War , was fought by Napoleon III of France and the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia against the Austrian Empire in 1859...
from 1859, and became prosector
Prosector
A prosector is a person with the special task of preparing a dissection for demonstration, usually in medical schools or hospitals. Many important anatomists began their careers as prosectors working for lecturers and demonstrators in anatomy and pathology....
at the Paris medical faculty in 1861. Between 1865 and 1872 we worked as surgeon to the Paris hospitals Hospice des enfants-assistés, Hôpital du Midi, Hôpital Cochin
Hôpital Cochin
The Hôpital Cochin is a famous hospital of public assistance in the rue du Faubourg-Saint-Jacques Paris 14e. It houses the central burn treatment center of the city. The Hôpital Cochin is a section of the Faculté de Médecine Paris-Descartes...
, Hôpital Laboisière and Hôpital Beaujon, and was head of a field hospital
Field hospital
A field hospital is a large mobile medical unit that temporarily takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities...
in Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
.
In 1873 he became professor of surgery at the Paris medical faculty and surgeon at Hôtel-Dieu de Paris
Hôtel-Dieu de Paris
The Hôtel-Dieu de Paris is regarded as the oldest hospital in the city of Paris, France, and is the most central of the Assistance publique - hôpitaux de Paris hospitals. The hospital is linked to the Faculté de Médecine Paris-Descartes...
. He was awarded the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
in 1870, and promoted to the rank of Officier in 1882. He was elected member of the Académie Nationale de Médecine
Académie Nationale de Médecine
Académie Nationale de Médecine, or National Academy of Medicine was created in 1820 by king Louis XVIII at the urging of baron Antoine Portal. At its inception, the institution was known as the Académie Royale de Médecine...
in 1876; he became its president in 1893 but died later in the same year.
Léon Le Fort was the uncle and godfather of French army surgeon René Le Fort
René Le Fort
René Le Fort was a French surgeon from Lille remembered for creating a classification for fractures of the face...
, and the son-in-law of Joseph-François Malgaigne
Joseph-François Malgaigne
Joseph-François Malgaigne was a French surgeon and medical historian born in Charmes-sur-Moselle, Vosges....
.
Legacy
Le Fort's work covered a broad spectrum of surgerySurgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
, orthopaedic surgery
Orthopedic surgery
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system...
, gynaecology
Gynaecology
Gynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"...
, pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
and military surgery
Combat medic
Combat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...
. He published articles on resection of the kneeDe la résection de genou. (1859) and hip,De la résection de la hanche. (1861) uterine prolapse and its treatment,Des vices de conformation de l’utérus et de vagin et des moyens de remédier. (1863) and pregnancy.Des maternités. (1866) He discovered communication between bronchial and pulmonary vessels
Pulmonary circulation
Pulmonary circulation is the half portion of the cardiovascular system which carries Oxygen-depleted Blood away from the heart, to the Lungs, and returns oxygenated blood back to the heart. Encyclopedic description and discovery of the pulmonary circulation is widely attributed to Doctor Ibn...
,Recherches sur l’anatomie des poumons chez l’homme. (1858) and was a proponent of asepsis
Asepsis
Asepsis is the state of being free from disease-causing contaminants or, preventing contact with microorganisms. The term asepsis often refers to those practices used to promote or induce asepsis in an operative field in surgery or medicine to prevent infection...
in hospitals in France and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
before bacteriology was established.Note sur l’hygiène hospitalière en France et en Angleterre. (1862)
A number of Le Fort's descriptions and inventions still bear his name:
- Le Fort's fracture of the ankle – vertical fractureBone fractureA bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...
of the distal fibula with avulsion of the internal malleolus. - Le Fort's amputation – osteoplastic amputationAmputationAmputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
of the foot, removing part of the os calcis. - Le Fort's operation – operation for uterine prolapseUterine prolapseUterine prolapse is a form of female genital prolapse Uterine prolapse is a form of female genital prolapse Uterine prolapse is a form of female genital prolapse (also called pelvic organ prolapse or prolapse of the uterus (womb).Treatment is surgical, and the options include hysterectomy or a...
. - Le Fort's sound – curved soundSound (medical instrument)In medicine, sounds are instruments for probing and dilating passages within the body, the best-known examples of which are urethral sounds and uterine sounds. Some people enjoy using them for urethral play.-Urethral sounds:...
used to treat urethral strictureUrethral strictureA urethral stricture is a narrowing of the urethra caused by injury or disease such as urinary tract infections or other forms of urethritis.-Signs and symptoms:...
s in male patients.