To conduct a good surgical treatment requires a high level of artistic ability, technical expertise, and pinpoint accuracy. The most recent technologies can support and advance in all of these areas. In the late 1990s, the area of joint replacement surgery was one of the first to adopt the revolutionary concept of computer-assisted surgery. Listed below are some instances of how technology is now being used in my hospital’s operating room:
1. Computer-Aided Instruments Alignment
The alignment of joint replacement components and the rotation of these components have a vital influence on the final result of the surgical procedure. For instance, in the case of knee replacement surgery, the alignment and rotation of the prosthetic pieces established during the procedure directly correlate to how well the knee will operate after the procedure and how long it will endure. Hip replacement surgery reduces the risk of dislocation and differences in the length of the two legs after surgery. In today’s world, accurate alignment and rotation of components are achieved via computers.
2. Three-Dimensional Printing and Simulation
Complex operations that carry high risk and persist for many hours need a great deal of meticulous preparation. Reforming medical practice and learning methods and modeling and effectively planning complicated surgical operations may be significantly aided by current technology such as 3D printing or other simulation approaches.
A group of seasoned medical professionals concluded that it would be beneficial to construct a life-size replica of the infant’s heart, which had been affected by a congenital cardiac problem. They had prepared ahead for a very complex operation on the little heart. This was the very first time that anybody in China used this approach. The group of skilled medical specialists effectively carried out the operation. The little youngster made it through the ordeal with minimal to no long-term negative repercussions.
In addition, the technology of 3D printing began to gain traction in medical education. Back in 2016, a pair of surgeons from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) created a method to employ 3D printing to build fake organs. Their goal was to give surgeons and trainees an alternative to working on a real human individual. They felt, looked, and even bled the same as the genuine thing. Since then, 3D printing has been taking over institutions. It leads to a better comprehension of procedures, boosts trainee skill set and confidence, and gives future doctors a more comprehensive grasp of anatomy and disease. The technology can also be used in a short scar facelift for more accuracy.
Stratasys medical training models, for example, offer clinically relevant training on realistic anatomical models that can be customized for virtually any clinical scenario. Stratasys medical training models offer clinically relevant training on real anatomical models.
3. Robotic Surgery
Robotic arms, guided by accurate three-dimensional planning, may be utilized to cut and burr the bone, allowing for the exact placement of implants that will restore alignment and joint biomechanics. The most common use for this technology is surgery to replace a portion of the knee.
4. Surgery That is Just Minimally Invasive
After Edison invented the lamp, a physician in Glasgow constructed a tube that contained a miniature lightbulb so that he could examine areas deep inside the human body. Fiber-optic threads did not provide more excellent light into the caves of the body until the second part of the 20th century. Still much later, little computer chip cameras began beaming pictures back out into the world. Not only were surgeons now able to see well within a patient’s body without making a large incision, but they were also able to do surgery inside the body using very few instruments. One of the innovations that contributed to the surgical practice revolution was the development of laparoscopes, followed by endoscopes.
Minimally invasive surgery involves making smaller incisions and fewer cuts, which results in minor discomfort for the patient and a quicker recovery time. The new venture in medical devices With its Magnetic Surgical System for prostatectomies, which has been cleared for use by the FDA, Levita intends to improve the techniques now in use. During laparoscopic surgery, this cutting-edge technology platform uses a technique known as magnetic retraction, which allows the gallbladder to be grasped and retracted.
Vicarious Surgical is a firm that focuses on developing next-generation surgical robots, and its mission is to improve the effectiveness of surgical treatments. The Vicarious system has an impressive reach and the capacity to “replicate” all of the maneuvers that a surgeon can do, as well as many more. It makes a single incision that is just 1.5 cm wide, yet this incision is large enough to accommodate two robotic arms and a camera.
Conclusion
The initial generation of computer-assisted equipment, designed to make it possible to carry out surgery with more precision but was clunky, time-consuming, and challenging to use, was unwieldy and awkward. Today’s technology has developed into user-friendly and robust platforms that cover a number of aspects of joint replacement surgery. These aspects include;pre-operative planning, alignment of the coronal and sagittal planes, component rotation, and quantification of soft-tissue balance. These cutting-edge computers and technological advancements play a significant role in the operating room that contributes to increased accuracy and precision.
