Firsts in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and its predecessor hospitals - Boston Hospital for Women, the Boston Lying-in Hospital, and the Free Hospital for Women – have been the site of many important “firsts” in gynecology and obstetrics. These include:

– 2008	-	First application of barbed suture in gynecologic laparoscopic surgery
– 2004	-	Collaborators in the Department of Radiology developed a non-invasive technique for treatment of fibroids that involves destruction of the tumor using high intensity focused ultrasound treatment.
– 2002	-	Discovered a gene that causes uterine fibroids.
– 2001	-	First successful in utero treatment of a congenital heart disorder.
– 1983	-	Development of CA-125, the first marker for monitoring the treatment of ovarian cancer.
– 1976	-	Researchers launched the landmark Nurses’ Health Study, one of the largest and longest-running studies of women ever conducted. This study, that enrolled 122,000 women, has led to groundbreaking research that has changed the way we view women’s health and the way women are cared for in every area of health.
– 1973	-	Development of non-invasive fetal heart monitoring, enabling physicians to more safely and accurately detect fetal distress during labor
– 1956	-	Established the first clinic for evaluation of abnormal Pap smears in pregnancy
– 1954	-	The first clinical trials of oral contraceptives get under way
– 1944	-	Researchers successfully fertilize a human ovum in a test tube
– 1931	-	The first prenatal clinic opens in New England
– 1883	-	Antiseptic techniques are introduced to ward off infection following childbirth, dramatically reducing the maternal/child death rate
– 1847	-	Anesthesia administered during childbirth for the first time
– 1832	-	The Boston Lying-in Hospital, one of the nation's first maternity hospitals, opens its doors to women unable to afford in-home medical care following fundraising appeals to individuals and various charitable organizations