Skip to main content

Principles of physics in surgery: the laws of flow dynamics physics for surgeons — Part 1

Indian Journal of Surgery volume 71, pages 182–187 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

In the field of medicine and surgery many principles of physics find numerous applications. In this article we have summarized some prominent applications of the laws of fluid mechanics and hydrodynamics in surgery. Poiseuille’s law sets the limits of isovolaemic haemodilution, enumerates limiting factors during fluid resuscitation and is a guiding principle in surgery for vascular stenoses. The equation of continuity finds use in non-invasive measurement of blood flow. Bernoulli’s theorem explains the formation of post-stenotic dilatation. Reynolds number explains the origin of murmurs, haemolysis and airflow disturbances. Various forms of oxygen therapy are a direct application of the gas laws. Doppler effect is used in ultrasonography to find the direction and velocity of blood flow. In this first part of a series of articles we describe some applications of the laws of hydrodynamics governing the flow of blood and other body fluids.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  1. Guyton A, Hall J (2003) Textbook of Medical Physiology. 10th ed. Elsevier; Chapter14 Overview of the circulation, medical physics of pressure, flow and resistance. pp 148–151

  2. Duruble M, Martin JL, Duvelleroy M (1979) Theoretical, experimental and clinical effects of variations in hematocrit during hemodilution. Ann Anesthesiol Fr 20(9):805–814

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Hean C Chen, Jutta Wiek, Anita Gupta, Alan Luckie, Eva M Kohner (1998) Effect of isovolaemic haemodilution on visual outcome in branch retinal vein occlusion. Br J Ophthalmology 82:162–167

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Halliday D, Resnick R, Walker J (2001) Fundamentals of Physics. Singapore: John Wiley and Sons — 6th ed. Chapter 15: Fluids. pp 333–335

    Google Scholar 

  5. Nakatani S, Masuyama T, Kodama K, Kitabatake A, Fujii K, Kamada T (1988) Value and limitations of Doppler echocardiography in the quantification of stenotic mitral valve area: comparison of the pressure half-time and the continuity equation methods. Circulation 77(1):78–85

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Halliday D, Resnick R, Walker J (2001) Fundamentals of Physics. Singapore: John Wiley and Sons — 6th ed. Chapter 15: Fluids. pp 336–337

    Google Scholar 

  7. Robert W Fox, Alan T McDonald. Introduction to Fluid Mechanics. Singapore: John Wiley and Sons — 4th ed. pp 33, 297

  8. Van Meurs KP, Mikesell GT, Seale WR, Short BL, Rivera O (1990) Maximum blood flow rates for arterial cannulae used in neonatal ECMO. ASAIO Trans 36(3):679–681

    Google Scholar 

  9. Peter Atkins, Loretta Jones. Chemistry — Molecules, Matter and Change. WH Freeman and Co — 3rd ed. pp 2, 161

  10. Guyton A, Hall J (2003) Textbook of Medical Physiology. Elsevier — 10th ed. Chapter 39: Physical Principles of gas exchange. pp 451–453

  11. Kleen M, Messmer K (1999) Toxicity of High PaO2. Minerva Anesthesiol 65(6):393–396

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Guyton A, Hall J (2003) Textbook of Medical Physiology. Elsevier — 10th ed. Chapter 44: Physiology of deep sea diving and other hyperbaric conditions. pp 504–506

  13. Halliday D, Resnick R, Walker J (2001) Fundamentals of Physics. Singapore: John Wiley and Sons 6th ed. Chapter 18: Waves II. pp 414–416

    Google Scholar 

  14. Russel, William, Bulstrode. Bailey and Love’s Short Practice of Surgery. Hodder Arnold 2004 — 24th ed. Chapter 59: Venous Disorders. pp 959–961

  15. Cunningham, Gant, Leveno, Gilstrap III, Hauth, Wenstrom. William Obstetrics (2001) McGraw Hill — 21st ed. Chapter 41: Ultrasound and Doppler. pp 1100–1140

  16. Nishimura RA, Gibbons RJ, Glockner JF, Tajik JA (2005) Noninvasive Cardiac Imaging — Echocardiography, Nuclear Cardiology and CT/MRI Imaging. In: Kasper, Braunwald, Fauci, Hauser, Longo, Jameson, editors. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine. 16th ed. Volume 2. McGraw Hill; pp 1320–1323

  17. van’t Hoff JH (1887) The role of osmotic pressure in the analogy between solutions and gases. Zeitschrift fur physikalische Chemie vol. 1, pp. 481–508

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

    Anurag Srivastava

  2. Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA

    S. Parijat Joy

  3. Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK

    John Woodcock

  4. All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

    Akshay Sood

Authors
  1. Anurag Srivastava
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Akshay Sood
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. Parijat Joy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. John Woodcock
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Akshay Sood.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Srivastava, A., Sood, A., Joy, S.P. et al. Principles of physics in surgery: the laws of flow dynamics physics for surgeons — Part 1. Indian J Surg 71, 182–187 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-009-0064-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-009-0064-x

Keywords

  • Hydrodynamics
  • Poiseuille’s
  • Equation of continuity
  • Bernoulli’s
  • Reynolds number
  • Doppler effect