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Gürbüz, M.; Uçak, S.; Özer, E. Gynecomastia Surgery in the Early Ottoman Period: An Evaluation of Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu’s Contributions. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/59366 (accessed on 27 March 2026).
Gürbüz M, Uçak S, Özer E. Gynecomastia Surgery in the Early Ottoman Period: An Evaluation of Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu’s Contributions. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/59366. Accessed March 27, 2026.
Gürbüz, Meryem, Salih Uçak, Eray Özer. "Gynecomastia Surgery in the Early Ottoman Period: An Evaluation of Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu’s Contributions" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/59366 (accessed March 27, 2026).
Gürbüz, M., Uçak, S., & Özer, E. (2025, December 19). Gynecomastia Surgery in the Early Ottoman Period: An Evaluation of Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu’s Contributions. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/59366
Gürbüz, Meryem, et al. "Gynecomastia Surgery in the Early Ottoman Period: An Evaluation of Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu’s Contributions." Encyclopedia. Web. 19 December, 2025.
Peer Reviewed
Gynecomastia Surgery in the Early Ottoman Period: An Evaluation of Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu’s Contributions
This is a peer-reviewed entry published in Encyclopedia Journal, full entry can be found at 10.3390/encyclopedia5040210

Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu (c. 1385–1470) was one of the most prominent surgeons of the early Ottoman period, particularly noted for his systematic and visually documented surgical approaches to breast tissue. His principal work, Cerrahiyyetü’l-Hâniyye, is based on the 30th volume of the Andalusian physician al-Zahrawi’s Kitab al-Tasrif, yet it goes well beyond a translation by incorporating Sabuncuoğlu’s clinical observations, experiential knowledge, and original surgical explanations. The text provides detailed descriptions of breast pathologies, including gynecomastia, and outlines diagnostic procedures, therapeutic strategies, surgical drainage methods, local wound-cleansing practices, and the definitions and uses of numerous surgical instruments, many of which are illustrated via miniatures. His second major work, Mücerrebnâme, is equally significant from a pharmacotherapeutic perspective, containing experiential prescriptions for swelling, inflammation, and painful breast lesions and reflecting the empirical reasoning he applied to drug-based treatments. Together, these two works portray Sabuncuoğlu as a versatile physician who combined operative techniques with pharmacological knowledge, offering a comprehensive view of medical practice in the early Ottoman period. His detailed account of gynecomastia surgery, supported by observations on pre- and postoperative care, represents an important source for understanding both medieval surgical practice and the development of anatomical and therapeutic knowledge in the Islamic medical tradition.

gynecomastia history of surgery Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu medieval medicine ottoman medical manuscripts Cerrahiyyetü’l-Hâniyye Mücerrebnâme Islamic medical tradition illustrated surgery history of medicine
Medical studies and surgical methods are as old as human history. They have always been remarkable due to their direct relation to human life. Like many diseases that require surgical intervention, breast diseases have long been an area of interest in medicine. Throughout the period of history extending from ancient Greece to the golden age of Islamic medicine [1], surgical approaches to breast tissue have constituted a significant portion of the accumulated knowledge pertaining to traumatic and neuroplastic pathologies [2][3]. The most prominent representative of this accumulation in the early Ottoman period is Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu (1385–1470?) [4].
Although primarily based on al-Zahrwi’s Volume 30 of his surgical collection Kitab al-Tasrif [5], Sabuncuoğlu’s Cerrahiyyetü’l-Hâniyye [Imperial Surgery] is not merely a translated text; it is an original work containing the author’s personal clinical observations and experiential knowledge. This feature grants the work its status as a compilation. His work presents, in detail, the processes for diagnosing and treating breast abscesses, ulcerative lesions, neoplastic masses, and traumatic injuries of the breast and explains local antiseptic applications, surgical drainage techniques, and the definitions and uses of surgical instruments [6].
In Cerrahiyyetü’l-Haniyye, folios 202v–206v contain detailed descriptions of the medicinal formulations that Sabuncuoğlu used during and after surgical procedures. This section does not appear in al-Taṣrīf and therefore represents one of the original parts of the work entirely authored by Sabuncuoğlu. He explicitly states that he personally tested these preparations, applied them repeatedly, and included them in the manuscript because they had proven effective. Among these multi-ingredient formulations are mixtures described as “cooling the discharge” and “promoting tissue growth,” which were intended to be applied directly onto the wound following surgical intervention (e.g., 206v). Their primary purpose was to protect the wound, reduce exudate, and provide conditions suitable for healing. Although the modern concept of antisepsis had not yet emerged, these practices reflect a systematic effort to prevent harm to the wound and to minimize contamination.
Sabuncuoğlu also notes that some of these formulations retained their effectiveness for up to six months, indicating both their complex preparation techniques and their intended protective function. The mixtures commonly included ingredients such as olive oil, wine, vinegar, aged vinegar, egg white, beeswax, and rose oil—substances known for their natural drying, astringent, or protective properties (202v–204r). In Mücerrebnâme, similar formulations are discussed more extensively under the headings “wines” and “medicated pastes,” indicating that these wound-protective materials were part of a broader therapeutic repertoire (2v–3v, 62a).
Sabuncuoğlu’s Mücerrebnâme [On Attemption] is an experimental medical book in which he presents treatment formulas based on the results obtained through direct clinical practice, and it is notable for its pharmacotherapeutic approaches to breast diseases. The book includes prescriptions for both the internal and external applications for swelling, inflammation, and painful lesions in the breast tissue [7].
This study examines Sabuncuoğlu’s surgical approach to gynecomastia, which he considered a breast disease, by analyzing the relevant sections of the two works mentioned above within their historical and medical context. In addition to his surgical descriptions, this study evaluates Sabuncuoğlu’s identity as a versatile physician by considering his general medical knowledge, methodological preferences, recommendations for postoperative patient care, scientific attitude, and ethical understanding, all of which contribute to our overall assessment.
The author’s copy of Sabuncuoğlu’s work Cerrahiyyetü’l-Hâniyye, registered in the Paris Bibliothèque Nationale de France under Supplément Turc, number 693, has been taken as the basis for determining his surgical approach to treating gynecomastia. This copy is an autograph copy presented to Fatih Sultan Mehmed, which bears the seal of Baye-zid II. The surgical technique related to gynecomastia, located on folios 88b–89a in this manuscript, were analyzed through a reading of Chapter 47. The instruments and medications Sabuncuoğlu used during his surgical interventions, recorded in the same work, are also examined. When evaluating the manuscript, the modern edition prepared by İlter Uzel and published in two volumes by the Turkish Historical Society has also been used comparatively [8].
To determine which medical supplies a physician might need during gynecomastia surgery, the relevant prescriptions and application recommendations were identified by examining the copy of Mücerrebnâme registered under no. 3619 at the Süleymaniye Library in Fatih, Istanbul. The sections related to gynecomastia in both of Sabuncuoğlu’s works were examined comparatively to provide a comprehensive historical analysis.

References

  1. Conrad, L.I.; Neve, M.; Nutton, V.; Porter, R.; Wear, A. The Western Medical Tradition: 800 BC to AD 1800; Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK, 1995.
  2. Prioreschi, P. A History of Medicine: Roman Medicine; Horatius Press: Omaha, NE, USA, 1998; Volume 3.
  3. Pormann, P.E.; Savage-Smith, E. Medieval Islamic Medicine; Edinburgh University Press: Edinburgh, UK, 2007.
  4. Savage-Smith, E. Islamic Medicine. In Science and Technology in Medieval Islam; Walker, C.B.F., Ed.; British Museum Press: London, UK, 1995; pp. 14–23.
  5. Chavoushi, S.H.; Ghabili, K.; Kazemi, A.; Aslanabadi, A.; Babapour, S.; Ahmedli, R.; Golzari, S.E. Surgery for gynecomastia in the Islamic Golden Age: Al-Tasrif of Al-Zahrawi (936–1013 AD). Int. Sch. Res. Not. 2012, 2012, 934965.
  6. Şerefeddin, S. Cerrahiyyetü’l-Hâniyye ; Supplément Turc 693; Bibliothèque Nationale de France: Paris, France, 1465; pp. 42a–312.
  7. Şerefeddin, S. Mücerrebnâme ; Süleymaniye Kütüphanesi, Fatih Koleksiyonu: Istanbul, Turkey, 1468; pp. 1–86.
  8. Şerefeddin, S. Cerrahiyyetü’l-Hâniyye; Uzel, İ., Ed.; Türk Tarih Kurumu Yayınları: Ankara, Turkey, 2020; Volume 2.
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Subjects: Surgery
Contributors MDPI registered users' name will be linked to their SciProfiles pages. To register with us, please refer to https://encyclopedia.pub/register : Meryem Gürbüz , Salih Uçak , Eray Özer
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Online Date: 19 Dec 2025
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