Surgical history of Hirschsprung disease

Harald Hirschsprung presented the first comprehensive and detailed description of clinical outcomes in patients with congenital megacolon. In the century following his discovery, we have seen realization of the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of Hirschsprung disease. In this article we describe the surgical management of Hirschsprung disease starting with Orvar Swenson, who pioneered the field with the first full thickness transrectal dissection followed by several additional innovative surgeons who have contributed to the modifications that have brought us to the modern surgical management of Hirschsprung Disease.