4.2.3
New Approaches to Surgery & Prevention
Improvements in Surgery
Improvements in Surgery
The two World Wars drove improvements in surgery in Britain. Orthopaedic (skeleton/bones) surgery and neurosurgery both began in World War One.
Anaesthetics
Anaesthetics
- Anaesthetics were developed which enabled patients to remain unconscious for longer.
- This meant doctors could try more complicated procedures.
- In 1950, William Bigelow performed the first open-heart surgery. Anaesthetics made more complex surgery like this possible. In 1958, a pacemaker was fitted in the heart.
Keyhole surgery
Keyhole surgery
- Keyhole surgery was created. This means the surgeon could perform an operation through small incisions (cuts).
- Keyhole surgery needed improvements in video so that tiny cameras could be put into the body to do surgery.
- Using miniature instruments and fibre-optic cameras, surgeons can perform operations which reconnected nerves and blood vessels together.
Radiation therapy and X-ray machines
Radiation therapy and X-ray machines
- Radiation therapy was advanced in the 20th century by Henri Becquerel and Marie Curie. This means the surgeon uses high-energy radiation on a patient with cancer.
- This helps surgeons kill cancer cells and reduce the size of tumours.
- X-ray machines were used to make surgery more effective. They could identify what was wrong with a patient before and during surgery to make it more effective.
Laser surgery
Laser surgery
- Laser surgery was first used in 1987 in eye surgery.
- Alongside eye surgery, lasers can also help treat skin conditions, remove ulcers, control bleeding and help remove blockages in arteries.
Prosthetic body parts
Prosthetic body parts
- A prosthetic limb is an artificial body part that can replace arms or legs. Pare had designed some prosthetic limbs but investments after the world wars improved the technology.
- In 1972, John Charnley made the first hip replacements and in 1984, skin grafts became widely available.
- In the 1990s, prosthetic limbs with microprocessors were released.
Robot assisted surgery
Robot assisted surgery
- Some surgeons now do robot assisted surgery.
- The robot (machine) is controlled by the surgeon. This became more common after 2000.
- Robot assisted surgery can make smaller cuts than surgery done by humans. This reduces the size of scars and the chance of infection.
Advances in Prevention in the 20th Century
Advances in Prevention in the 20th Century
Vaccination campaigns and lifestyle campaigns have both been used in the 20th century to stop people from getting diseases or illnesses in the first place.
Herd immunity
Herd immunity
- If a high percentage of the population is vaccinated against a disease, then the spread of contagious disease is a lot slower.
- Vaccination is still very effective, even if not everyone is vaccinated.
- Vaccination campaigns can get enough people vaccinated for there to be herd immunity.
Diptheria vaccine
Diptheria vaccine
- The diptheria vaccine was introduced in 1942. Before then it killed around 3,500 children each year.
- Diptheria was a bacterial disease that could cause heart failure and paralysis.
- People feared that wartime conditions would make diptheria more common, so the government introduced and advertised the vaccination (in newspapers, radio and posters).
Polio vaccine
Polio vaccine
- Polio is caused by a virus and can cause paralysis. It attacks the body's nervous system and blood.
- Polio caused up to 750 deaths and thousands of disabilities each year.
- The polio vaccine was introduced in 1956 and a campaign to vaccinate everyone under 40 was launched.
- By 1980, polio had been almost eradicated in Britain.
Lifestyle campaigns
Lifestyle campaigns
- The government tried to improve people's health choices in the second half of the 20th century.
- The Change4Life campaign was launched in 2009. It tried to improve people's diet and encourage exercise. Obesity has risen in the UK and it causes lots of health problems.
- The consumption of alcohol has risen in the last 50 years. The government's 2004 Drinkaware campaign aims to reduce drinking.
- These interventions are very different to the laissez-faire policies of UK governments 100-300 years ago.
1Medicine in Medieval England
1.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
1.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
2The Medical Renaissance in England
2.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
2.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
3Medicine in 18th & 19th Century Britain
3.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
3.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
4Medicine in Modern Britain
4.1Modern Understanding of Disease
4.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
5Treatment in WW1
6Themes in Medicine
7Some Extra Context (Not Compulsory for Exam)
7.1Medieval Medicine
Jump to other topics
1Medicine in Medieval England
1.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
1.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
2The Medical Renaissance in England
2.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
2.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
3Medicine in 18th & 19th Century Britain
3.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
3.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
4Medicine in Modern Britain
4.1Modern Understanding of Disease
4.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
5Treatment in WW1
6Themes in Medicine
7Some Extra Context (Not Compulsory for Exam)
7.1Medieval Medicine
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