FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICS IN SURGERY- REVIEW

Abstract

Physics is everywhere in our daily life. It helps in understanding concepts of surgery easily. Application of physics in surgical field is very helpful especially for a surgeon. In this article we have summarized some common laws of physics, many of them we see in our operation theatre like Poiseuille’s Law, Pascal’s Law, Laplace’s Law, Bernoulli Equation or Theorem, Ohm’s Law, Floating Ball Valve Mechanism, Newton’s Law of Cooling, Laws of Vector and Air-Water Seal System. The application and understanding of these laws would make a surgeon think more like a scientist. Doppler Effect   is used in ultrasonography to evaluate the direction and velocity of blood flow. Reynolds number (NR) is used to predict whether the flow of blood will be laminar or turbulent.

The laws of Thermodynamics, Mechanics, and Vectors as they apply to soft and bony tissues. These include the Laplace’s Law as applied to colonic perforation and esophageal varices etc. In Electrocautery, alternating current is passed through a resistant metallic wire electrode and generates heat. The heated electrode is used to achieve hemostasis and dissection.  The Pascal’s Law finds use in hernia repair

Keywords: Physics, Surgery, Fundamentals.