The Illuminated Body: Representation in Medicine and Culture
Recreated Body
Medical Implants
Many parts of the human body have been literally recreated by the medical profession. These artificial body parts may alter or replace an external bodily feature such as an arm or an eye. This group includes limb prostheses, breast implants, and facial implants. Prosthetic devices may be used in cosmetic andreconstructive surgery following an accident or surgery for cancer or other diseases. Other man-made body parts may be hidden inside the body, restoring the function of a missing or diseased organ. Heart pacemakers and cochlear implants work in this way. Still others, such as a dialysis machine which filters blood like the kidneys do, provide a physiologic function but are not a part of the permanent physical body.
Temporary skin substitutes
Skin substitutes are used to cover burn wounds temporarily until a permanent human skin graft can be applied. Also called biologic dressings, these skin substitutes perform many functions. They protect against fluid and heat loss through the wound, decrease the risk of bacterial infection, and promote wound healing. Biologic dressings are removed before a final skin graft is placed.
Three different skin substitutes are available. Porcine heterograft or pigskin is the most common type of heterograft (animal skin) in use today. The use of animal skin to cover wounds dates back to 1880. The perforations in the pigskin allow it to stretch and cover a larger area of the wound. BioBrane is a synthetic product. It is made of a nylon and silicone mesh to which collagen peptides, a component of skin, are attached. This particular specimen is sewn in the shape of a glove to cover a child's hand. The third type, cultured keratinocytes, is skin cells grown in sheets in a laboratory. It is used in much the same way as other skin substitutes.
On loan from the Burn Unit, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Pacemaker
A heart attack or chronic heart disease can interfere with the normal conduction of electrical impulses in the heart, causing the heart to beat too slowly, too quickly, or irregularly. In these cases artificial pacemakers are implanted to provide electrical stimulation to the heart. This stimulation causes the heart to contract and pump blood at a more appropriate rate. A pacemaker consists of a light-weight power source and pulse generator placed below the skin of the upper chest or abdomen. From this, a wire lead runs to the heart where an electrode connects to the cardiac tissue.
On loan from the Pacemaker Lab, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Cochlear implant
The cochlea is a snail-shaped structure of the inner ear that converts vibrations of sound waves into nerve signals that are sent to the brain. One form of deafness results from damage to the cochlea. A cochlear implant enables these people to hear some sounds for the first time or to regain a portion of their lost hearing. The implant receives sound through a microphone and analyzes the signal with a speech processor. It then transmits this information to the brain through electrical stimulation of the nerve cells in the cochlea using multiple tiny electrodes. The headset microphone and speech processor are worn outside the body. The receiver/stimulator is implanted in the bone behind the ear and its electrode wire winds into the cochlea.
On loan from the Otolaryngology Department, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Breast implant
Breast implants are used for breast reconstruction following removal of a breast due to cancer and for breast enlargement operations performed for cosmetic reasons. Breast implants are produced from silicone, saline, or a combination of the two. Implants are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and textures. On display are silicone breast implants.
In 1992, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided to ban further use of silicone implants for breast enlargement until studies could be performed to demonstrate the safety of these implants. In this controversial decision the FDA allowed the continued use of silicone implants for breast reconstruction for participants in these studies. Saline implants were not affected by the FDA's ruling.
On loan from Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Penile implant
The penile implant is one method of treatment for impotence, the inability to achieve erection of the penis. On display is an inflatable penile prosthesis. This implant uses a hydraulic system to reproduce the action of a functioning penis. The two tubes are implanted in the body of the penis. They are connected by tubing to a pump which is placed in the scrotum and then to a reservoir bulb which is placed in the abdomen. Squeezing the pump inflates the tubes and produces an erection. A valve on the pump can then reverse the process, allowing the penis to become normally flaccid.
On loan from the Urology Department, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Testicular implant
The testicular implant is employed for aesthetic reasons. It may be used when a testicle is removed due to cancer or trauma or in cases of an undescended testicle. The implant consists of a silicone rubber outer shell filled with a silicone gel.
On loan from the Urology Department, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Artificial Eye
Eye prostheses function as cosmetic replacements for missing or surgically-removed eyes. Made of acrylic plastic, an artificial eye is painted to match the appearance of the remaining eye.
Courtesy of David Bulgarelli, Iowa Eye Prosthetics, Inc.
Artificial Joints
It is possible to replace many different joints in the body. A major cause of joint replacement is arthritis. When arthritis causes severe pain and limits the movement of a joint, the use of an artificial joint may be indicated. Some prostheses are attached to the bone with cement, while others stay in place by allowing new bone to grow into the prostheses. Artificial joints are designed to allow movement similar to that of a normal joint and to withstand the stress placed upon it.
Courtesy of Johnson & Johnson, and Zimmer-Schilling Associates, Inc.
Dental Prostheses
Courtesy of the Otolaryngology Department, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
Maxillary Denture
Conventional false teeth for the upper jaw or maxilla. The gold restorations were added to give the denture the same appearance as the patient's normal teeth.
Denture and Speech Aid
This denture was designed for an adult with a cleft palate. The prosthesis allows the patient to speak and eat normally.
Maxillary Post-Surgical Obturator
This prosthesis restores the hard and soft tissues of the upper jaw or maxilla following surgery for cancer. It allows the patient to speak and eat normally.
Facial Prosthesis
A facial prosthesis is a removable appliance made of flexible plastic, usually silicone, designed to restore the normal appearance of a patient who has lost facial tissue through cancer, birth defects, or trauma. The plastic is sculpted to match other facial features and custom tinted to match every nuance of the patient's skin color. Every effort is made to make the prosthesis blend into the face so that it is as unnoticeable as possible. The facial prosthesis may be held in place by special adhesives, mechanical or magnetic supports under the prosthesis, or titanium anchors implanted into underlying bone.
Courtesy of University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics Department of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, Iowa City, Iowa
Nose Prosthesis
Before and after photographs of a woman with a nose prosthesis.
Courtesy of University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics Department of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, Iowa City, Iowa
Ear Prosthesis
This ear or auricular prosthesis is held in place through its attachment to skin-penetrating screws which fit into titanium anchors implanted in the bone of the skull.
Courtesy of University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics Department of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, Iowa City, Iowa
Caged Ball Valve
Courtesy of the National Museum of Health and Medicine
Heart Valve Prostheses
Artificial heart valves are used to replace a diseased heart valve. They are designed to restore the normal flow of blood through the heart. Valve prostheses must be durable to withstand the forces of a constantly beating heart, approximately 35 million beats per year.
Tilted Disc Valve
Courtesy of Medtronic, Inc., Lombard, IL.
Tilted Disc Valve
Courtesy of the National Museum of Health and Medicine
Vascular Prostheses
Artificial blood vessels are designed to withstand pressure without collapsing yet still be elastic. They are generally woven or knit out of materials such as Teflon and Dacron. Many vascular prostheses are meant to allow a small amount of blood leakage. Because the fabric is somewhat porous, blood permeates the fabric, clotting occurs, and a cellular lining develops which is similar to the lining of a normal blood vessel.
Voice Prosthesis
A voice prosthesis is a small silicone device designed to restore speech for people who have had their larynx or voice box surgically removed. As seen in this model, these patients have an opening at the throat which connects to the trachea or wind-pipe. The voice prosthesis is placed in a surgically created hole between the back of the trachea and the front of the esophagus or food tube, which runs behind the trachea. To produce speech the patient covers the opening in the neck, forcing air through the device's one-way valve into the esophagus. The resulting vibrations of the esophagus produce the speech sounds.
Courtesy of University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics Department of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, Iowa City, Iowa
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