10 Amazing Medical Procedures of the 20th Century
[Last Updated On February 21st 2014]
By PositiveMed-Team
Edited By Stephanie Dawson
Clinical medicine has grown as fast as engineering, chemistry, physics, and metallurgy in this century. Following are the medical procedures introduced in the 20th century which were difficult to be imagined in the past:
• Cryosurgery
A technique for freezing and killing abnormal cells is known as cryosurgery. It can be used on the skin or inside the body. Some types of cancer are treated by cryosurgery and some precancerous or non-cancerous conditions can be taken care of by cryosurgery.
• Advanced Ultrasound techniques
Kidney stones can be broken with the help of modern ultrasound techniques, they use very high-frequency sound waves to break them up. These are employed in brain and inner ear operations which have to be done with great precision and control.
• Open-heart surgery
Open-heart surgery was made possible by the heart-lung machine that takes over the blood pumping and breathing functions of heart and lungs during this operation. This is a useful medical procedure that continues to save many lives.
• Hypothermia
Also known as cold surgery hypothermia has made long operations possible as the body is cooled to lower the rate of metabolism, reducing the need for oxygen which enables doctors to perform long operations especially involving transplantation.
• Orthopedic surgery
Various new techniques in orthopedic surgery have made injured limbs usable. Use of cementing substances to unite bones destroyed by tumors or injuries and replacing the joints with plastic or metal devices is now among those techniques.
• Kidney Transplantation
A surgical procedure that requires replacing a diseased kidney with a healthy kidney from another person is known as a kidney transplant. Kidneys are vital organs of the human body with many functions. A living person can donate a kidney or it may come from a deceased donor.
• Hip Replacement
Replacing a hip joint with a prosthetic implant was done for the first time in 1960. A total replacement or half-replacement can be done. Hip fracture can now be treated with the help of this medical procedure, at one time it was not thought possible.
• Face transplant
This is one of the most shocking medical procedures of 20th century in which all or a part of person’s face is replaced.
• $e* reassignment surgery
This is the most shocking medical procedure of 20th century. This is a surgical procedure through which physical appearance and function of a person’s existing $e*u@l characteristics are altered to resemble that of the other gender. Gender identity disorder in transsexual and transgender people can be treated through this surgery.
• Craniotomy
A bone flap is temporarily removed from the skull to access the brain in this surgical procedure known as a craniotomy. Patients suffering from brain lesions or traumatic brain injury can undergo this critical operation.
