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Procedural Medicine for Spaceflight

  • 1st Edition - July 1, 2026
  • Latest edition
  • Editors: Dana Levin, Tovy Kamine, Michael Pohlen
  • Language: English

Procedural Medicine for Spaceflight is a collection of research and experiential data on procedural medicine and the needs of those involved in Space Medicine. Procedural medici… Read more

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Description

Procedural Medicine for Spaceflight is a collection of research and experiential data on procedural medicine and the needs of those involved in Space Medicine. Procedural medicine is a core competency for the specialty of Space Medicine, but there is no single reference available which addresses the unique spaceflight environment or the medical techniques required to ensure success.

This book is divided into six sections. Starting with the Introduction, then moving to Procedural Considerations, Anesthesia and Pain Management; Post Procedure Care; Other Considerations; and concluding with The Future of Procedural Medicine in Space. Each chapter is written by experienced subject matter experts in relevant disciplines. This book is intended for physicians, medical students, engineers, mission planners, and medical researchers interested in and/or training in Space Medicine.

Key features

  • Describes what procedures are likely to be needed (and not needed) over the coming decade in spaceflight
  • Provides evidence-based instructions for how spaceflight affects minor, major, and invasive medical procedures
  • Describes evidence and experience-based modifications that may be needed for each aspect of procedural care in spaceflight
  • Outlines the considerations for managing a patient pre- and post-procedure, including pain management, rehabilitation, physiological monitoring, and equipment management/use

Readership

Physicians, medical students, and medical researchers interested and/or training in space medicine.

Table of contents

I. Introduction

1. General Considerations of the Environment

2. Systems Medicine and Engineering for Procedural Care

3. General Approach to Procedures in Space

4. Ethics and Informed Consent

II. Procedural Considerations

5. Vascular Access

6. Hemorrhage Control

7. Resuscitation and Critical Care

8. Irrigation

9. Head and Neck Procedures

10. Ophthalmic Procedures

11. Thoracic Procedures

12. Abdominal Procedures

13. Gynecological Procedures

14. Genitourinary Procedures

15. Extremity Procedures

16. Spinal and CNS Procedures

17. Dental Procedures

III. Anesthesia and Pain Management

18. Pharmaceutical Considerations

19. Sedation and General Anesthesia

20. Local & Regional Anesthesia

21. Pain Diagnosis and Management

IV. Post Procedure Care

22. Recovery and Monitoring

23. Rehabilitation, Modification of Crew Schedule, and Fitness for Duty

V. Other Considerations

24. Diagnostic Tools

25. Pre-flight Training Curriculum Development for Procedural Skills

26. Procedural Guidance

VI. The Future

27. Major Invasive Surgery

28. Clinical Decision Support Systems

29. Evacuation and Space Emergency Medical Services

30. The Future of Human Habitation in Space

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: July 1, 2026
  • Language: English

About the editors

DL

Dana Levin

Dr. Dana R. Levin currently serves as the Director of Space Medicine for Vast, a commercial company building the first commercial space station. He is board certified in Aerospace and Emergency Medicine and works clinically with the UCLA and UCI departments of emergency medicine. Before Vast, Dr. Levin was a physician with NASA and the assistant fellowship director for the Massachusetts General Hospital Space Medicine Fellowship.

As a terrestrial physician Dana maintains an active clinical practice in Emergency Medicine and holds faculty appointments with UCLA, UC Irvine, and the Massachusetts General Hospital. He has cared for patients in clinical settings ranging from single coverage rural hospitals to tertiary care medical centers and has been the field physician for high altitude expeditions, underwater archeological expeditions, Antarctic research stations, and every environment in between. He is also an accomplished researcher and scientist with work focused on enhancing the ability to deliver high level care in resource limited environments and extreme environment physiology.

Affiliations and expertise
Director of Space Medicine and Human Research, Vast Space, USA

TK

Tovy Kamine

Dr. Tovy Haber Kamine is the Director of Emergency Surgery Services at Baystate Medical Center and an Associate Professor of Surgery, Healthcare Delivery, and Population Science at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the Aerospace Medical Association, and the founder and first president of the Space Surgical Association. He is also a surgical and critical care consultant for Vast inc. Over the past decade he has published extensively in peer reviewed journals on the challenges, modifications, and necessity of invasive procedures in space flight.

Affiliations and expertise
Department of Surgery, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA, USA

MP

Michael Pohlen

Dr. Michael Pohlen is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiology at the University of California, San Diego. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Geosciences from Texas A&M University and earned his medical degree with High Honor from Baylor College of Medicine, where he completed the Space Medicine Pathway.

He completed a residency in diagnostic radiology at Stanford University followed by fellowships in cardiovascular and thoracic imaging. He has more than 30 research publications and presentations, with work focusing on artificial intelligence applications in thoracic imaging and the adaptation of imaging modalities for human spaceflight. He is a member of the Society of Thoracic Radiology, the American College of Radiology, and the Radiological Society of North America, a former Senior Vice President of the Organization for Space Medicine, Engineering, and Design, and an Associate Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association.

Affiliations and expertise
Assistant Professor, Clinical Radiology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA