Why did doctors resist antiseptic surgery at first, and what finally changed

Early medical resistance to antiseptic surgery was largely driven by a lack of understanding regarding germ theory, as many doctors still believed in spontaneous generation or that 'bad air' caused infection^[1][4]. Beyond theoretical skepticism, some surgeons faced professional friction, and early methods were sometimes inconsistent or difficult to reproduce^[6].

The shift toward modern practices gained momentum as hospital data and battlefield observations proved that preventable infections were killing patients^[1]. Joseph Lister’s successful use of carbolic acid and his insistence on clean surgical environments eventually convinced the medical community, turning surgery from a risky gamble into a safer, evidence-based practice^[4][6].