Pop-up surgery in museum show

Surgeons, nurses and anaesthetists are stepping back in time to showcase how the operating theatre has changed since Victorian times.

Visitors to the National Museum of Scotland will see doctors and nurses re-enact simulations of surgical procedures from the past in front of live audiences.

Operating theatre

People will learn about operations from 1884, 1984 and 2014 - from the beginnings of modern surgery to the cutting edge techniques used today.

The Time Travelling Operating Theatre explores what the medical profession has learnt from the past and how this could shape the future of surgical practice.

Edinburgh Surgery has such a strong and rich history that it is a real privilege for us to help to show how the surgical team and operating theatre environment has evolved to the present day, and horizon-scan into the future.

Immersive experience

Live simulations will take place inside ‘pop-up’ operating theatres, using costumes, props and dummy patients to make the experience as authentic as possible.

Experts will demonstrate the technological, cultural, environmental and social changes that have taken place in operating theatres over the past 130 years.

We hope that by opening up the closed world of surgery, past and present, important discussions can be had around the future of surgery and what challenges and opportunities potentially lie ahead.

Medical professionals

The surgical team taking part are medical and nursing professionals from the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian.

The Time Travelling Operating Theatre is produced and researched by Imperial College Centre for Engagement and Simulation Science and is funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Time Travelling Operating Theatre

Performances take place on Saturday 10 October at 10.30, 13.00 and 15.00. Each show lasts around two hours and consists of three short operation re-enactments followed by discussions with the clinicians and an expert panel. Tickets are free but booking is recommended.