Conrad Ramstedt

Conrad Ramstedt (1867–1963) was a German surgeon.

Served in the German army medical corps in World War I

Eponymously affiliated with the Ramstedt Pylorotomy, of which he carried out 70 during his career

Interestingly, he discussed the procedure only once in published literature (1912)

Born 1 February 1867, Hamersleben in Central Prussia
1894 – Graduated after studying Medicine at Heidelberg, Berlin and Halle
1895–1901 – Surgical assistant at the University Surgical Clinic in Halle
1901-1909 – Medical officer in the (Westphalian) Cuirassiers ‘von Driesen’
1911 (August 23) – Ramstedt performed his first pylorotomy on a 7 week-old, firstborn son of a Westphalian nobleman
WWI – Oberstabsarzt (Major) in the German Army
1919 – Chief of Surgery in the Rafaelklinik in Munster
Died 7 February 1963, Munster, Germany

Ramstedt Operation (pylorotomy) (1912) – longitudinal myotomy of the pyloric muscle without attempt to close the defect, in contrast to previous methods involving closure of the hypertrophied muscle

Credited with pioneering the modern surgical management of Pyloric Stenosis
While working in Munster, Ramstedt suggested that simple pyloric myotomy may surfice for management of Pyloric Stenosis (1911) rather than attempting closure of the pyloric muscle, as was carried out previously
He carried out and described this procedure in the October 1912
His description of this method was actually preceded, however, by Sir Harold Stiles in Edinburgh, who performed and documented the operation in February 1912

Rammstedt C. Zur Operation der angeborenen Pylorusstenose. Medizinische Klinik 1912; 8(2):1702–1705

Ramstedt’s name was spelt with two ‘m’s (Rammstedt) in publications pre ~1920, due to an error apparently introduced by his grandfather into church records. He appears to have reverted to the original spelling after discovering this following WWI.

Georgoula C, Gardiner M. Pyloric stenosis a 100 years after Ramstedt. Arch Dis Child. 2012 Aug;97(8):741-5. [PMID 22685043]
Shaw A. Ramstedt and the centennial of pyloromyotomy. [PMID 22813809]
Pollock WF, Norris WJ. Surgical history: Dr. Conrad Ramstedt and pyloromyotomy. Surgery 1957;42:966-70 [PMID 13486412]