Celebrating the centennial (1894-1994): Leonardo Gigli and his wire saw

In spite of the recent introduction of craniotomes in neurosurgical practice, the simple but brilliant wire saw invented by Leonardo Gigli still holds an important place in neurosurgical instrumentation. Born in Florence in 1863, Gigli was forced by circumstances to leave Italy soon after getting his medical degree. He first spent 2 years attending the most celebrated obstetrical clinics in Paris and London and then, in 1892, moved to Breslau where he worked with Fritsch and Mikulicz. During this successful and rewarding period, Gigli proposed the lateralized pubiotomy (Gigli's operation) for safe delivery in cases of maternal pelvic deformities and, inspired by the sight of a jagged knife during a country banquet, conceived his wire saw to simplify the procedure. In 1894, at Professor Obalinski's suggestion, he successfully tested a modified saw type with a whalebone guide for the preparation of osteoplastic cranial flaps. In spite of his great popularity and the high esteem in which he was held abroad, Gigli's aims were systematically belittled in Italy, where he never qualified for a university teaching position. He died in 1908, at age 44. Although the once celebrated Gigli's operation has merely historical interest today, the favorable features of his wire saw make it a safe and efficient tool in the hands of twentieth-century neurosurgeons worldwide.