Apr 29 1998
From The Space Library
Astronauts and physicians [[Jay C. Buckey] Jr. and Dafydd Rhys “Dave” Williams performed the first surgeries ever conducted on living specimens while in orbit. The two doctors injected chemical markers into the hind legs of six of the surviving baby rats to determine the role of gravity in the development of muscles. The crew anesthetized the baby rats before injecting them with the pink florescent chemical, the first time scientists had performed such a procedure in zero-gravity conditions. In addition to studying how muscles and nerves develop in space, the crew studied whether anesthesia really works without the help of gravity, whether patients have more difficulty recovering from anesthesia in space, and how wounds heal in space. Two other astronauts successfully completed "the most difficult medical procedure ever attempted on someone in space." The astronauts guided tiny needles into the nerves behind their knees, in an experiment aimed at understanding and easing the blood pressure problems and dizziness that astronauts suffer after returning to Earth. An estimated 500,000 Americans experience the same symptoms every day when they stand up. The needle enabled the astronauts to "listen" to electrical impulses, as the brain sent messages to the nerve.
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