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First Zero-Gravity Surgery a Success

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the now-where-did-i-put-that-scalpel dept.

MattSparkes writes "Slashdot reported earlier this week that the first ever zero gravity surgery was to take place. Today the team of doctors successfully carried out the operation, removing a benign tumour from the forearm of a 46-year-old volunteer. "Now we know that a human being can be operated on in space without too many difficulties," team leader Dominique Martin said after the flight. The studies show that minor surgery is possible even during long-term inhabitation of space."

3 of 85 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Lots of blood by Moby+Cock · · Score: 4, Informative

    The presence of lots of blood is already a problem. It tends to pool, obstucting the surgeons view. That's why they have suction mechanisms. Suction is still valid in micro-gravity.

    I don't expect space operating theatres to look anything like Star Trek VI, with blood drops drifting about aimlessly.

  2. Re:Lots of blood by Lord+Pillage · · Score: 2, Informative

    When performing bypass surgery the heart is usually stopped, or at least the part of the heart that is being operated on, so that you don't have a lot of spillage of blood anyway.

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  3. Re:Anyone doing Zero Gravity Copulation research? by Volante3192 · · Score: 2, Informative

    But what if a pair of crew members are married, like Mark C. Lee and Jan Davis of STS-47? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-47

    However, while the media jumped on it, I'm pretty sure it was a non issue. They've got tight enough schedules as it is on those missions without dealing with one extra biological experiment.