(ORDO NEWS) — It is almost impossible to send an astronaut who needs emergency medical care back to Earth – therefore, future space travelers may have to conduct rescue surgical procedures in outer space with almost zero gravity.
This could be a potentially dangerous attempt, according to Nina Louise Purvis, a graduate student in space medicine at King’s College London, in a new article .
Outer space is not entirely favorable for the human body. From dangerous levels of solar radiation to weakening bones and muscles, even colds can ultimately make life for space travelers unbearable.
During animal tests – there has never been a human operation in space – scientists had to deal with complicated conditions.
“One of the problems was that during an open operation, the entrails floated around, hiding the view of the operative field,” Purvis said.
“To cope with this, space travelers must choose minimally invasive surgical techniques that are ideally performed in patients’ internal cavities through small incisions using a camera and tools.”
According to Purvis, scientists are trying to solve this problem with the help of cameras for closed surgery with a separate air supply inside the spacecraft and hemorrhaging surgical instruments.
These tools can also be manufactured in space using 3D printers, without delivery from Earth.
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