Surgery

Earlier this month, Ella, a three-year-old potbelly pig, entered into a surgical procedure at Oregon State University (OSU). Simultaneously, she entered the record books as the first pig to ever have undergone the complete removal of an ear canal.

The installation of a cochlear implant is a tricky procedure, in which certain nerves may be damaged if the surgeon isn't careful. A new "smart" surgical drill is designed to help, by automatically shutting off if it gets too close to those nerves.

Researchers have demonstrated that inducing a kind of hibernation state could help protect organs from damage when blood circulation is stopped during surgery. The technique slows down the metabolism and has been found to work well in tests in mice.

Surgeons are increasingly turning to less-invasive techniques, such as utilizing long, thin needles – instead of scalpels – to access targets within the body. A new needle, with a steerable tip, could make such procedures faster and easier.

A fascinating trial has reported virtual reality immersion can reduce the amount of sedatives needed during certain types of hand surgery. The trial found patients using VR could get through an entire surgical procedure with only local anesthetic.

Archeologists have discovered the oldest evidence of a surgical procedure in humans. A Stone Age hunter-gatherer, who lived more than 30,000 years ago, had a carefully amputated leg, making it the earliest known surgery by tens of thousands of years.

A cornea implant made out of collagen gathered from pig skin has restored the vision of volunteers in a landmark study. Pending further testing, the novel implant is hoped to improve the vision of millions waiting for difficult transplant surgeries.

DARPA has selected Raytheon BBN to lead a team to develop an augmented reality device that can act as a virtual assistant for combat medics, guiding them through 50 different medical procedures using artificial intelligence.

It goes without saying that surgeons require a very delicate, precise touch. A new set of surgical training gloves were designed with that fact in mind, as they monitor their wearer's hand movements, and provide feedback on their technique.

An article is reporting on the first 19 humans treated with a new non-invasive method designed to break up kidney stones using sound waves. The method successfully fragmented most kidney stones, promising a non-surgical way to treat patients.

While robotic laparoscopic surgical systems do make certain procedures safer and less invasive, those systems are still operated by human surgeons. Now, however, a surgical robot has performed a delicate operation entirely on its own.

Adhesives that hold underwater are elusive, but could be useful for marine repairs or tissue healing. Researchers have now developed a new type of adhesive hydrogel that combines the underwater stickiness of mussels with the strength of spider silk.