During the Medieval Period, Europe was in its Dark Ages. The Arab and Islamic world became the repository of medical and surgical knowledge which they significantly advanced to the benefit of modern surgery and the knowledge accessible to the doctors and scholars of the Renaissance in Europe. Islamic surgeons of the medieval period were known for their advanced surgical skills, the development of new surgical techniques and tools, an understanding of cardiopulmonary circulation and their contributions to the field of surgical hygiene. These contributions were influenced by the Islamic Golden Age (eighth–thirteenth century CE) where scientific and medical knowledge flourished. Islamic surgeons made many important contributions to the field of surgery, including the following: 1 Development of new surgical instruments: Islamic surgeons developed many surgical tools and instruments that were not known in the West before the Islamic Golden Age. These included surgical scissors, forceps, scalpels, and various types of cataract surgery instruments. 2 Introduction of anaesthesia: Islamic surgeons were among the first to use anaesthesia, such as opium and mandrake, to reduce pain during surgical procedures. 3 They described the cardiopulmonary circulation centuries before William Harvey. 4 The importance of surgical hygiene: Islamic surgeons placed a strong emphasis on surgical hygiene, including the use of antiseptic agents and the use of dressing on wounds to promote healing and prevent infections. 5 Advances in surgical techniques: Islamic surgeons made advancements in surgical techniques in fields such as ophthalmology, orthopedics, urology, and gynecology. 6 They also were known for the development of new surgical procedures, such as cataract surgery, rhinoplasty, and surgical management of tumors.These contributions were transmitted to Europe through translations of Islamic surgical texts and through interactions between European and Islamic surgeons. The surgical knowledge and techniques developed in the Islamic world played an important role in the development of European surgery during the Renaissance period. Guy de Chauliac’s Churiugia Magna cited the Arab literature many times. Indeed surgical techniques and the use of sedation were possibly better in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries than they were in 200 years later when many of the lessons Arab texts had been forgotten.