Medical Implants That Made The World A Better Place

Prosthetics

Ever since we have forayed into the medical implant industry, our lives have changed significantly. People with serious injuries have been able to live a normal life, thanks to the innovations and breakthroughs that these implants have brought to the medical industry.

These implants help in improving the quality of life of individuals who use them and make them feel a bit more confident, and worry less about their disability, which also results in the extension of their life. In this article, we will discuss a few of these medical implants that have made the world a better place for people to live in.

1. Spine screws, rods, and artificial discs

Spine injuries, if not treated properly, can cause a lot of issues for the people suffering from them. Ever since progressive spine implants were introduced, treating these injuries has become relatively easy.

Spinal fusion surgeries include fusion of two or more vertebrae with either screws or rods, whatever is needed by the person. The screws help in correcting deformity or treating trauma suffered by the patient in the spinal cord. These screws also help in properly fixing rods to the spine.

Artificial discs help in bringing relief from pain caused by painful discs. Doctors replace the painful ones with a prosthetic implant which helps in easing things for the patient so that he doesn’t have to go through the everyday struggle.

2. Intrauterine devices (IUDs)

Bringing a child into the world is a huge responsibility and one should only go ahead with it when they are completely ready. While there are few effective ways to avoid getting pregnant, IUDs or intrauterine devices are deemed the most effective ones.

IUDs are T-shaped plastic and copper devices, inserted into a person’s uterus by a trained medical professional. It releases copper that helps you avoid getting pregnant for about 5 to 10 years. The copper released helps in stopping the sperm from reaching the egg and thus helps in avoiding pregnancy.

These implants have a 99% success rate and that is why is highly recommended for people who don’t want an unwanted pregnancy. It can be implanted in your uterus anytime while you are on your period and not pregnant.

3. Artificial knees

Struggling to walk on your own might happen due to weak knees. This results in increased dependency on other people and also reduced self-confidence. With the innovation of artificial knees, many people who have suffered knee injuries can now walk without needing someone by their side all the time. This procedure is also known as a total knee arthroplasty.

Artificial knees are made of metal and a certain plastic that helps in replacing one’s bad knee. It is usually done to patients whose knees are damaged by arthritis.

This surgery is also known as total knee replacement surgery and helps people with bad knees in moving around freely and improves their quality of life, which is the ultimate goal of this implant.

4. Ear tubes

Hearing problems aren’t limited to age. It can happen in children too. The most common issue that children face is middle ear infections. This can happen if the kid is suffering from a cold or has any other respiratory infection. During this time, bacterias and viruses can easily enter the ear and lead to an infection due to pus.

ear

Ear tubes are small tubes that can be made of metal or plastic and help in draining the fluid that forms in the middle ear. A small hole is made in the eardrums where the tube is inserted. It isn’t a complicated process but is extremely helpful.

Also, you won’t even have to remove these tubes as they’ll be automatically pushed out once your eardrums heal themselves fully.

5. Artificial eye lenses

Eyesight issues are the most common issue faced by people of almost every age. Having one’s own eyes is considered the most important asset. Earlier, only thick round glasses were the solution to having eyesight after contracting a cataract. But with advancements in technology, artificial eyes lenses have come into the picture to help people out.

These lenses are made of PMMA, silicone, or acrylic and have similar properties to our natural lenses. They have refractive power that helps in focusing on light rays and images on the retina. This has helped correct nearsightedness and farsightedness without wearing huge glasses, which can sometimes annoy the users.

This has completely changed the lives of people who can’t see naturally and need the help of glasses.

6. Heart pacemakers

We are too busy in our lives to always pay close attention to what’s happening inside our bodies. However, it isn’t an excuse to neglect the care and attention it might need from us from time to time.

Heart pacemakers are battery-operated devices that detect the irregular rhythm of your heart and signal your heart so that the pace can be immediately corrected. Maintaining the right pace is important, else it can lead to chronic fatigue, lightheadedness, damage to organs, etc.

Pacemakers are implanted inside the skin and have helped many individuals in keeping a check on their heart rhythms. The procedure takes about an hour and isn’t permanent in nature.

7. Artificial hips

Walking around with a bad hip isn’t easy. If you have suffered an injury on your hip joint, it makes it extremely difficult to do basic tasks too. Ever since artificial hips were introduced, people who have had severe hip injuries heaved a sigh of relief.

hip replacement device
Hip replacement – Photo by: Science Museum London – Source: Flickr Creative Commons

While hip implants, like any other implant, don’t last forever, they still help in making the lives of suffering patients easier. Also known as hip replacement surgery, an artificial hip prosthesis is placed to help you move around freely without any pain. This prosthesis can be made of metal, plastic, or ceramic material.

Conclusion

Science has evolved manifolds in recent years and it still keeps surprising us every day with new things. These advancements have made life easier for people to a great extent as they have helped them in going about their lives without a lot of struggle.