Cyberware Usage and Its Side Effects

Transcript
Many people believe we live in a time when “impossible” has become an absolute term. Ripperdocs can replace nearly any part of the human body with artificial implants, from your big toe to portions of the nervous system. My years in Trauma Team, however, taught me that the “impossible” is still very much possible. Even now, as we enter the twilight of the twenty-first century, we as medical professionals have not been able to eliminate all of the side effects that come from incorporating cybernetic elements into our bodies. Of course, everyone is familiar with the mental disorders most commonly referred to as cyberpsychosis. But it doesn’t end there. Although advances in medical science for the greater part of a century have reduced its incidence to a minimum, cyberware rejection can still occur in a small subset of the population. These unlucky few can experience a range of complications, but the following are the most prevalent:

1. Immune Response – The body rejects the implant, causing scar tissue to continue growing to the point that it causes pain and inflammation of surrounding tissue as well as possible interference with the tech’s electrical circuits.

2. Psychological Effect - -Neurological implants have the potential to cause unpredictable change in the brain. Possible side effects include depression, apathy, hallucinations and sudden increases in addictive behaviors, such as gambling.

3. Implant Overdependence – Long-term use of certain synthetic body part replacements can change the brain’s chemistry to make it accustomed to a particular type of implant. There are reported cases of permanent blindness after patients attempted to replace their Kiroshi optical implants with different models

In the face of these known risks, what should our outlook be as consumers and medical professionals? To deny ourselves cybernetic enhancements on the 0.5 percent chance we could lose our vision forever? Or gamble away our life savings at the casino? The clear answer is “No.” Cyberware technology has elevated human biology to the point where these what-if arguments serve against our best interests. The best advice I can offer for minimizing your risk is to read the technomedical profiles for all cyberware you intend to purchase before you install it.