The world of medicine is packed with terms that could be considered to be quite confusing to those not in the know. It’s like any professional world, but one that has the sanctity of life and death baked into it. Though there is no need for non-medical individuals to learn the ins and outs of procedures, but it is vital that we have an understanding of some of the most important surgical terms that could be used in our treatments.- Invasive vs Non-Invasive
Invasive vs Non-Invasive
These are two terms that need to be learned and understood as they can give an idea of the procedure you have to go through, and the length of time that it will take for you to recover. These are two key factors that cannot be underestimated when it comes to preparing and recovering from surgery.
An invasive procedure is one that breaks the skin in any way. If it will leave some sort of scar or incision that needs to be healed, it will be an invasive surgery. A non-invasive surgery will be one that does not require an incision. Invasive surgeries will also last much longer, and usually require a patient to be given either local or general anaesthetic to get through the procedure. In non-invasive procedures, you might get a local anaesthetic but they don’t usually require general anaesthesia.
Traumatic vs Less Traumatic
Trauma is measured in the medical world as to how much damage a body receives. Though this can be caused by external factors – thus prompting the need for surgery in the first place – it is important to remember that trauma can also be caused by the procedures themselves.
For example, if a surgeon is tackling a surgery that takes them into the ribcage, they will be causing trauma to the body’s tissues as they hold the cavity open and move organs around. Therefore, it is vital that equipment is used to lessen the trauma to the tissue. Click here to find out more about the self retaining surgical device that makes such surgeries less traumatic.
Why are These Terms Important?
Everyone should have some medical knowledge even if they are not in the industry themselves. It will help you to determine how much recovery surgery will take. With a non-invasive surgery, you will frequently walk out of the clinic where it has taken place either the same day or maybe the next.
An invasive surgery will require time to heal, as you need to heal both the incision and any muscle or internal damage. In addition to this, it is vital that medical staff work to ensure that surgeries are made less traumatic. Invasive surgeries can be traumatic enough as it is, so a lot of research is needed to ensure that surgeons and other medical staff are not putting the bodies that they are operating on through unnecessary trauma with the use of the wrong equipment. Hopefully, we can begin to work towards surgeries and other procedures that do not cause unnecessary trauma to a body, whether it is invasive or supposedly noninvasive.
