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Articles on Surgery

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Episiotomies have a place in maternity care but should not be routinely performed. Paul Curto/Flickr

Episiotomy during childbirth: not just a ‘little snip’

It’s difficult to imagine how something as big as a baby’s head can come out of what appears to be a relatively small space. But during childbirth, the perineum – the area of skin and muscle between the…
Army recruitment: fear is a friend not foe. Matt Brock

Emotions affect how pain feels, as soldiers know only too well

Pain is one of the most powerful weapons of war. Western Front soldier and poet Siegfried Sassoon dubbed war a “sausage machine” because it tore through and crushed tissues and organs, and dismembered…
The floodgates are open, bring on the age of 3D printing. S zillayali

The printed face is just the beginning of a 3D revolution

The news that a man in Wales was able to have his face reconstructed after a serious motorbike accident has brought the wonder of 3D printing to the mainstream. It’s the result of changes in regulation…
Bariatric surgery is the last-line option for weight loss. Chris J/FLickr

Explainer: the risks and benefits of bariatric surgery

You don’t need an expert to tell you obesity has become a major health problem worldwide. The World Health Organisation estimates 35% of the world’s adults are overweight and 11% obese, double the rate…
This little thing changed the world. Science Museum London

A world without antibiotics would be a dark place indeed

The introduction into clinical practice of antibiotics is arguably the most significant medical advance of the 20th century. Together with immunisation and better public sanitation, they’ve had a significant…
A multi-armed robot assists surgery in delicate areas of the body. Mark Chew

Marking ten years of surgical robots (in a theatre near you)

A spider-like robot moves over an anaesthetised patient, deftly making controlled incisions with flexible arms while a surgeon sitting a couple of metres away peers through a console offering highly-magnified…
Vasectomies and abortions require informed consent. Lion Heart Vintage

Gender transition isn’t a whim, so why the mistrust?

When it comes to gender transitions, trans patients are often inappropriately held to higher account when compared to people opting for other kinds of medical care. Standards of care are effectively constructed…
Musician Courtney Pine might not be able to operate in A&E but his work has some similarities to surgery. Flickr/Richard Kaby

Jazz musicians can teach surgeons how to improvise

What could music and surgery have in common? At first sight, not much. Operations aren’t done on stage in front of a large crowd - and nobody dies after a concert if someone plays a wrong note. As an amateur…
Tont-Filippini’s claims could arose fears in the community and prompt people to reject organ donation. Melvin Es

Dead yet? Science, scaremongering and organ donation

In his new book, Catholic bioethicist Nicholas Tonti-Filippini attempts to portray the surgeons involved in organ donation as modern-day grave robbers. As described in a recent article in The Age, Professor…
Around one in every 1,000 patients will recall sounds or senstations while under general anaesthetic. nanda uforians

Why some people ‘wake up’ during surgery

Awareness during general anaesthesia is very uncommon, but when it occurs it’s distressing for patients and their carers. Our understanding of this phenomenon has grown over the past decade but we’re still…
Broadcasting live surgeries in Australia is not only possible, it’s already happening. Flickr/Focus Laser Vision

Broadcasting live surgery: the new reality rather than reality TV

The promise of technology is under-utilised in the medical profession but that’s hopefully about to change. Existing audiovisual equipment within hospitals is being used to fill training gaps and reach…

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