Emerging Technologies in Surgery

Technologies now emerging will have tremendous effects on surgeons and surgical practice. This volume looks ahead 10 to 20 years to predict and illustrate these trends in detail. The book opens with an overview of disruptive technologies, and their economic, scientific, ethical and social implications. Next comes a section on the dramatic effects of online technology in surgical education: the many ways that the Internet, virtual reality and simulation technology will change training and education. A section on Robotics covers computer-guided surgery, robotics and endoluminal therapies. Innovations in the design and use of surgical instruments, including MEMS and Nanotechnology are outlined, along with new techniques for hemostatic dissection. Focusing on Bioengineering, the book reviews tissue engineering and artificial organs, genetic engineering, stem cells and delivery systems, emerging transplantation technologies and the brain-machine interface. A concluding section, entitled Beyond the Future, discusses ways of adapting to future technologies.