Félix de Tassy had constructed a knife especially for the operation: a combination of a sickle-shaped scalpel and a button probe. This enabled him to probe the wound channel and make the incision required for the operation. With the help of a spreader and his own construction, the intervention was successful, even if it was very painful for Ludwig for a short time.
A month later Ludwig was already able to get out of bed, and a few more months later he was already back on the horse.
Félix de Tassy’s first and only fistulotomy
The operation gained notoriety as »La Grande Opération« or just »La Royale«. The court is said to have been so impressed by Félix de Tassy’s dexterity that more than 30 people asked him to perform the operation on them as well. However, since none of them suffered from a perianal fistula, no further fistulotomy was performed.
The bandages that Ludwig had to wear under his pants during the convalescence period are said to have been so popular that for a while they were considered a fashion accessory at court.
The painful operation on the royal butt brought the surgery forward
The surgeon Félix de Tassy gave up his job after the operation. Supposedly because it meant immense stress to prepare and carry out the procedure. However, it can be assumed that the title of nobility that was subsequently bestowed on him and the proud pension that the king now paid him were reason enough to retire.
However, his legacy was to be greater than the healing of the royal anus. Until then, surgery had not been held in very high esteem – »La Royale« changed that. With his skilful work, which differed significantly from the usual brute treatment methods on the battlefield, Félix de Tassy showed what surgery was actually capable of.