Veres needle: In memoriam of the 100th birthday anniversary of Dr János Veres, the inventor

The Veres-needle, the instrument for the performance of pneumoperitoneum before laparoscopy, is known all over the world. The 100th anniversary of the birthday of Janos Veres, the inventor of the needle, gives a good occasion to remember him. The creation of a pneumoperitoneum is the first necessary step to successful laparoscopy and visualization of the abdominal cavity, and the Veres needle is used commonly worldwide as an instrument for the achievement of this procedure. However, even in his native country of Hungary, little is known about Janos Veres, the ingenious inventor of the needle. Because his original studies on the needle were published in Hungarian and German, there is little accessible English literature available on his contributions. The 100th anniversary of his birthday marks an excellent occasion to remember him and to acquaint all laparoscopists and others with his work. Janos Veres was born in 1903 in Kismajteny, a small village in Hungary. The son of a local stationmaster for the Hungarian Railways, he was sent to Debrecen, Hungary, for Catholic schooling. He subsequently received his medical education at the University of Debrecen, completing his medical degree in 1927. After his training in internal medicine, he became head of the Departments of Pulmonology and Internal Medicine at the Kapuvar Hospital in Debrecen.