Abraham Groves

Abraham Groves (September 8, 1847 – May 12, 1935) was a Canadian physician and surgeon in Fergus, Ontario, who is credited with performing the first appendectomy in North America, in 1883. He is also recognized for performing Canada's first suprapubic lithotomy and for his early use of aseptic technique in surgery, possibly being the first person to use surgical gloves for infection control. Groves practiced in Fergus for sixty years, and the hospital he founded, formerly the Royal Alexandra, is now named the Groves Memorial Community Hospital in recognition of his work.

Early life and education Groves was born in Peterborough, Canada West, on September 8, 1847, though it is no longer on display.