Why is it that when you see photos of surgery the stuff inside your body looks really wet?
Is it just from blood? Is there a fluid in our bodies that makes organs wet-looking? If there is a fluid, does it serve a purpose other than keeping organs wet?
In: Biology
Not a surgeon but work in surgery. There are many different reasons why an organ can be wet.
1: interstitial fluid. Just fluid in between cells.
2: Edema aka swelling. Often a damaged or diseased organ will have swelling which increases said interstitial fluid. This is a normal response by the body by the way.
3: Bleeding. Surgery often has bleeding involved which can cause the organs to be wet.
4: Irrigation. A lot of surgery uses things like irrigation to wash away blood so that you can see or to dilute an infection or a potential infection. This is probably the most likely culprit for your question. Many times surgeons will wash everything off to make it look pretty for pictures.
5: Adipose aka fat. Fat is slippery and greasy. Often organs have fat on them that when smeared, can make an organ look shiny or wet.
Other non-medical reasons are things like glare
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