Surgical Capabilities in Spaceflight
Carlo A Canepa1, Kaleigh A Stabenau2
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Alaska Native Medical Center, Anchorage, AK, USA.
Abstract:
The current missions to Low Earth Orbit do not require surgical intervention or training owing to fast evacuation times to Earth. Long mission durations to the Moon, Mars, and beyond will require increased surgical training and capabilities for the crew. This review article summarizes the history, challenges, and potential of bringing surgical capabilities to space, including discussion of the specific physiologic, environmental, and practical concerns regarding surgery in space.
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