As soon as our ancestors figured out how to make tools, the possibility of it being used for surgery was not far behind. In fact, the oldest recorded surgery in history took place around 6500 BCE. This surgery was known as trepanation and involved the boring of a hole into the human skull. It is believed that doing so would help let out the evil spirit that might be causing the patient to be sick. Today, surgery is considered to be one of the most common procedures in the medical field.
Cataract Removal
In the U.S. alone, more than three million per year undergo surgery to have their cataract removed. In this procedure, the lens of the eyes is removed and replaced with an artificial one. A cataract develops in the eye lens. Recovery from this period usually takes about 24 to 48 hours only, though the cost might range anywhere from $2000 to $3000. In the modern world, the first successful extraction of cataracts happened in 1747 under French ophthalmologist Jacques Daviel.
C-section
Almost 1.3 million U.S. mothers give birth to babies via C-section. The C-section surgery is typically performed when there is some complication in the pregnancy such as high blood pressure or breech presentation. It is considered to be costlier than normal delivery with each procedure costing around $13,000.00. In the same line, C-section also requires a longer period of recovery than its counterpart and increases the risk of difficult delivery for future pregnancies.
Liposuction
This is considered to be one of the more popular methods of fat reduction, with more than 300,00 procedures carried out each year. It is primarily a cosmetic procedure that has a short recovery period. Not everyone, though, can undergo liposuction. Some Orange County clinics, for example, will only accept those who are within 30% of their ideal weight, does not smoke, and has firm elastic skin. People suffering from high blood sugar, as well as those who have hypertension, might not be eligible for this procedure.
Cholecystectomy
There are times when the gall bladder develops stones. When this happens, the bile ducts can become blocked. This, in turn, can be quite a painful experience. If it is found that the gall bladder has stones, cholecystectomy should be performed. Around 460,000 people in the U.S. undergo cholecystectomy every year. In this process, the gall bladder itself is removed. Based on studies, people who had their gall bladder removed have not noticed any change in their lifestyles.
Angioplasty
Cholesterol can build up along your blood vessels as plaque. These blood vessels are the ones that bring blood to your heart. When left attended, this can cause the tissue in your heart muscle to die due to a lack of oxygen. Angioplasty is done in order to clear up these plaques. About 500,000 angioplasty procedures are done in the U.S. It had initially been tested in dogs before Dr. Andreas Gruentzig decided to make the leap to human patients.