3 Things Causing Modern Day Revolutions in the Surgical World

It is all too easy to view the surgical world with a single division – to see a definitive distinction separating advanced, modern surgical practice from the many centuries of ceaseless development and improvement that came before such innovations as anaesthesia, germ theory, antibiotics and blood transfusion.

And, while it is true that surgery has travelled lightyears from those unsophisticated roots, the division between ‘then’ and ‘now’ is not quite as clear as it may seem. There remain myriad revolutions currently unfolding within the discipline of surgery – revolutions which will, in time, prove as seminal as those that comprise entire chapters in our history books.

Read more about just three of those things below.

1. Surgical Robotics

As with any industry that is moving, en masse, toward assimilating robotics within a part of their practice, the true extent of the benefits offered by this emerging technology can only be realised with time and development.

The notion of surgical robotics has evolved dramatically, particularly in recent years as innovations from all sides, including remote navigation, cameras, 3D imaging and the precise, intricate tools that make this technology so invaluable to surgeons.

2. Self-Retaining Retractors

It is often the way that the simplest inventions bely the years of brainpower, revision and innovation that poured into them. In many ways, this is a sign of the product’s success; for it to be so easily integrated within ORs around the globe, and to be used by surgeons without necessitating a sharp learning curve.

One of the most fascinating examples of this would be the recent work done to improve upon the Lone Star retractor – a self-retaining device used to circumvent the need for additional personnel in the OR, and to ensure that the operating surgeon has full control over their field of vision. June Medical have enabled greater control for the surgeon, who can make adjustments with one hand – and, most recently, attained a world-first by adding a flexible light to the device.

The modern surgical retractor represents a tool thousands of years in the making – one that is quietly altering the face of surgery around the world.

3. 3D Bioprinting

As any surgeon will attest, much of the discipline lies in visualisation, planning, and in the development of technique well before even a single incision is made.

3D bioprinting offers surgeons an unprecedented opportunity not only to visualise and plan, but to feel and experience a replica organ with the precision and detail only achievable through advanced 3D mapping and printing techniques.

Not only does this give the surgeon unprecedented access to tissue that is, until the moment of incision, totally inaccessible without resorting to invasive exploratory surgery, but it also promises to open the door for further advances in the realms of tissue replacement and organ transplantation, too.

The world of surgery represents one of the most adaptable and exciting disciplines in medicine, and we can anticipate plenty more advancements to come out of these pivotal areas of research in the coming years.