Surgical procedures have seen an increase in demand in the past few years. This happens as humans realize the importance of improved medical care. However, in the past surgical procedures come with some risks that scared most of the patients. The good thing is that technology keeps getting better. Here is how it is set to improve surgical practices in the future.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality has started to play an essential role in helping medical institutions complete some of the most complicated surgical procedures. For instance, in 2006, Shafi Ahmed, a cancer surgeon, carried out an operation with the help of a VR Camera in Royal London Hospital.
It was a huge achievement that hit the news headlines in all parts of the world. Due to virtual reality, anyone could take part in that procedure, and it was beautiful. From then on, established companies like OramaVR, Osso VR, ImmersiveTouch, and Fundamental VR have used VR technology as imaging and training solutions.
VR can aid in teaching and learning experience in the field of medicine. It can help reduce the number of learners peeking over the shoulder of a surgeon during an operation.
Genome Sequencing
Today, personal genomics is believed to be the future of healthcare. Personal genomics is a term used in medicine to refer to the process of analysis and sequencing of an individual’s genome. It ends by providing that person with his/her detailed genome information. Genome sequencing is a process that is possible thanks to improved technology in the medical field.
For the past 40 years, sequencing the human genome is one of the greatest achievements in the field of medicine. Throughout human history, a lot has been done, but we have never been able to understand our instruction book. However through the human genome that has been made possible. It feels more like crossing a bridge to better healthcare.
Computer Assisted Alignment Tools
This technology is used during knee and hip replacements. Joint alignment and rotation are very important because they dictate the outcome of a surgical procedure. Such procedures could indeed be done, even before technology had gotten better. However, the results were not as mind-blowing as they currently are.
Note that the better the alignment and rotation of the joint after the surgery, the better the knee will get to function. In that case, there is a need to achieve the highest level of precision possible. If technology is used in hip replacement, there will be limited chances of dislocation. Today, medical practitioners use computer-assisted alignment tools to serve their patients better.
Sensor Assisted Knee Replacement Surgery
Knee replacement is quite a delicate procedure. As such, it needs to be completed by a skilled and experienced surgeon. Even with that, some mistakes can occur, resulting in substandard results. That is where sensor-assisted knee replacement surgery comes in handy. It gets rid of the guesswork involved in knee replacement surgery.
Note that for the best results, the prosthetic parts must be of the right size. They also need to be oriented to achieve the correct alignment of the leg. These things were hard to attain before the technology was introduced. The ligaments that help guide the motion of the knee will also be balanced using the technology.
Electronic 3D Preoperative Planning
If you carry out a surgical headlight comparison, you will learn that this is one of the best solutions technology has ever provided. With preoperative MRIs, preoperative CT scans, it is possible to conduct planning in 3 dimensions, also known as 3D. These procedures let the surgeon look deeper into the shape, size, and quality of the bone.
By rotating and resizing the images, patients can find the best fit for various patients. These improvements help nurses, doctors, and surgeons to anticipate the outcome of a surgical procedure. Besides that, they have control of how the final result should look like, which is a huge achievement in the field of medicine.
Closing Thoughts
These are some of the ways that technology is set to improve various surgical procedures. As you can see, some of them are already being used. Patients across the globe, have started to enjoy the capabilities of virtual reality used to improve surgical procedures.