Medical First Zero-G Surgery Succeeds on Human Patient

[Ivan Seeking]

This story is a little over a year old but just came to my attention.

French doctors carried out the world's first ever operation on a human in zero gravity on Wednesday, using a specially adapted aircraft to simulate conditions in space.

During a 3-hour flight from Bordeaux in southwest France, the team of surgeons and anaesthetists successfully removed a benign tumour from the forearm of a 46-year-old volunteer.

The experiment was part of a programme backed by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop techniques for performing robotic surgery aboard the International Space Station or at a future Moon base.

"We weren't trying to perform technical feats but to carry out a feasibility test," said team leader Dominique Martin after the flight. "Now we know that a human being can be operated on in space without too many difficulties." [continued]

http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn10169-doctors-remove-tumour-in-first-zerog-surgery-.html

 

[binzing]

Ha ha, we both saw it on the science channel right? Mission to mars?Pretty cool science

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Mars Rising. Apparently the surgery looked more difficult than it was. The gal trying to insert the trache in the dummy was having quite a time though. She finally sat on his chest and grabbed his neck with her legs! I don't think that is an accepted medical practice.