French surgeons perform first zero-gravity operation

French surgeons performed the first zero-gravity operation on Wednesday aboard a plane free-falling to create weightless conditions in what was hoped a trial run for surgery on astronauts in space.

Dominique Martin, head of Bordeaux university hospital8217;s plastic surgery unit, removed a fatty cyst from the forearm of volunteer patient Philippe Sanchot. 8220;It happened in accordance with our expectations. Today we performed a feasibility test. We weren8217;t seeking to achieve a technical exploit,8221; Martin told a news conference at an airport near Bordeaux.

The operation lasted around 11 minutes and was performed in 32 sequences, during which an Airbus 300 Zero G aircraft flew in arcs putting it into free fall and creating weightless conditions for 22 seconds each time. In a specially-developed operating theatre, surgical instruments were held in place by powerful magnets and the surgeons by harnesses.