Anton Wölfler was an Austrian surgeon

Surgeon

In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...

 who was born in Kopezten, a village near Kladrau, Bohemia

Bohemia

Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...

.

In 1874 he earned his medical doctorate from the University of Vienna

University of Vienna

The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...

, where he was a student of Theodor Billroth

Theodor Billroth

Christian Albert Theodor Billroth was a German-born Austrian surgeon and amateur musician....

 (1829-1894). Afterwards, he remained in Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

 for several years as Billroth's assistant. In 1886 he became a professor of surgery at the University of Graz

University of Graz

The University of Graz , a university located in Graz, Austria, is the second-largest and second-oldest university in Austria....

, and in 1895 was a professor at Charles University in Prague

Charles University in Prague

Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...

.

Wölfler is remembered for his work in gastrointestinal surgery, and his investigations involving the thyroid gland. On September 28, 1881, he performed the first gastroenterostomy

Gastroenterostomy

A gastroenterostomy is the surgical creation of a connection between the stomach and the jejunum. The operation can sometimes be performed at the same time as a partial gastrectomy...

, which occurred on a patient with pyloric

Pylorus

The pylorus is the region of the stomach that connects to the duodenum . It is divided into two parts:* the pyloric antrum, which connects to the body of the stomach.* the pyloric canal, which connects to the duodenum....

 obstruction. He is also credited with providing the first detailed description of postoperative tetany

Tetany

Tetany has two meanings, though both are related to the muscular system.* Tetany * Tetany The terms "tetany" and "tetanus" are distinct....

.

• Associated eponym:
• Wölfler's gland: An accessory thyroid gland.