Hieronymus Fabricius or Girolamo Fabrizio or by his Latin name Fabricus ab Aquapendente also Girolamo Fabrizi d'Acquapendente (1537-1619) was a pioneering anatomist and surgeon known in medical science as the "Father of Embryology". In 1594 he revolutionized the teaching of anatomy when he designed the first permanent theater for public anatomical dissections. By dissecting animals, Fabricius investigated the formation of the fetus, the structure of the esophagus, stomach and intestines, and the peculiarities of the eye, the ear, and the larynx. Fabricius contributed much to the field of surgery. Though he never actually performed a tracheotomy, his writings include descriptions of the surgical technique. He favored using a vertical incision and was the first to introduce the idea of a tracheostomy tube. He died in 1619 at the age of 81 or 82.