Monday, August 15, 2011

Advancing Surgical Technologies

Fresno surgical technology instructor Doug Hughes has an article published in this month's issue of The Surgical Technologist, the journal of the Association of Surgical Technologists. The article focuses on two advancing technologies that hold the potential to revolutionize healthcare as we know it: robotic anesthesia machines and natural orifice surgery. Anesthesia robots monitor the patient, induce anesthesia, and administer medications automatically throughout the procedure, thus eliminating the need for the constant care of an anesthesia provider. During natural orifice surgery, a high-tech endoscope with specialized instruments is placed through the mouth or anus. Via this approach, a myriad of complex surgeries can be performed without the need to create an incision through skin. The lack of an incision eliminates the need for abdominal wall dissection and enhances postoperative healing and cosmesis.
Read the article here: http://www.ast.org/publications/Journal%20Archive/2011/8_August_2011/CE.pdf