The history of surgery as a practical branch of medicine can be traced back to ancient times through the study of surgical tools and practices. Over the centuries medical science has undergone radical changes, with periods of progress and standstill. In parallel, surgery has developed from its rudiments in the Neolithic era, the practices of the Egyptians and the Romans, and the Middle Ages and Renaissance to complex contemporary medical procedures using high–tech instrumentation. Yet not until the Industrial Revolution was medical science able to overcome the three main obstacles to the performance of surgery: infection, haemorrhage and pain. This article deals with the development of surgery and pathological anatomy during the Renaissance. Various medical schools emerged at that time, starting from pioneering contributions and practices by physicians such as Paracelsus and Andrea Vesalius. It should be remembered, however, that the surgeon was not only physician but also sometimes craftsman (barber surgeon) performing manual labour on the body of the patient. Surgery, nonetheless, has given rise to impressive medical treatises, anatomical models, and beautiful graphical representations of human anatomy. My contribution focuses on the evolution of surgical instruments, practices and structures during the Renaissance. To what extent did surgery influence the study of human physiology, the development of autopsy, and Renaissance medical science in general?