4 Types of Implants in Surgery

An implant is an external device or merely a structure that is placed or planted in the body. It can serve various general functions; support a structure that has lost its balance or integrity, fill up a missing piece of a structure or the structure itself altogether, and perform the functions that a structure has lost the ability to perform. It differs from a transplant in the respect that transplants are tissues removed from a body or structure within a body and transferred to another structure or another body. While an implant is an external man-made device that is far from resembling the structural makeup of the tissues it is replacing.

Implants can be of various types, depending on the system of the body which they affect or the general repercussions of their insertion into the human body. Implants, like transplants, can also fail to perform their function, and may even cause deleterious effects on the body. This is mostly due to the body’s response to the presence of a foreign material. The body is equipped with many mechanisms which respond to the presence of a foreign body, and most of these mechanisms produce harmful effects on the body itself.

Neurological

These are implants that will have various effects on the nervous system of the human body. This means they can affect the sensory perception of the human body, central as well as peripheral. So they can augment any defects the body may have in hearing, seeing, thinking, as well as the general balance of movements. Such implants include neurostimulators, cochlear implants, and intraocular lenses.

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Cardiovascular

These are implants that are used to correct any disorder concerning the cardiovascular system of the body, which includes the heart and the blood vessels. More commonly, conditions like angina, valvular heart disease, atherosclerosis, or heart failure are treated with implants. These implants include artificial heart valves, coronary stents, and pacemakers or defibrillators.

Cosmetic

A very common type of implants in modern times, cosmetic implants are frequently used to correct any external structural anomaly that a person does not like in their body. While conditions like mastectomies warrant the use of implants to correct the disfigurement, it is becoming more and more common to get implants just for improving appearance. These include implants for body parts like the nose, chin, breasts, and buttocks.

Orthopaedic

These are the most common types of implants that are put to use. This is because they involve the skeletal system of the body including the bones and joints. As injuries that involve fractures are very common, these implants are used quite often. Besides fractures, they are also used for conditions like scoliosis, arthritis, and stenosis. The implants include a variety of rods, plates, pins, and screws that are used to hold the bones together while the natural repair process of the bones takes place. That is why extensive research is being done to produce biodegradable orthopaedic implants which can dissolve in the bones and hence disappear after their function is no longer required.