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Occam’s Razor and Surgeons

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Abstract

Occam’s razor is a historical heuristic principle that states that “if there are many explanations/hypotheses for any phenomenon, the simplest one with the fewest assumptions is generally better than more complex ones.” Occam’s razor has many examples in surgery: good technique is the simplest and the most efficient way of doing something. One of the secrets is finding the correct plane of dissection. Newer advances in technology are making the technically demanding surgical steps simpler and safer. The basic tenet of global surgery “modify-simplify-apply” exemplifies the Occam’s razor and is used to find low-cost solutions for diagnosis, prognostication, surgical treatment, instrument development, and surgical training. Surgeons are innovators by nature and continuously refine and simplify the surgical technique—which is the very principle of Occam’s razor applied to surgery.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, NSCB Government Medical College, Jabalpur, MP, India, 482003

    Dhananjaya Sharma

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  1. Dhananjaya Sharma
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Correspondence to Dhananjaya Sharma.

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Sharma, D. Occam’s Razor and Surgeons. Indian J Surg 85, 700–701 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-022-03483-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-022-03483-4

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