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Study reveals increase in number of laparoscopic bariatric operations between 2003-2008

According to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, there was an increase in the number of laparoscopic bariatric procedures, an increase in the number of bariatric surgeons and a decrease of inhospital mortality rates between 2003 and 2008.

9 Aug 2011

Illinois' high school football players to do two-a-day workouts on Wednesday

Practices for football, cross country and other high school sports in Illinois begin Wednesday, Aug. 10, and many athletes will do two-a-day workouts in the August heat.

9 Aug 2011

UCSD opens first cardiovascular center in the San Diego region

UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center (SCVC) will officially open its doors to the public on Monday, August 8 after the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) certified the SCVC for patient care.

9 Aug 2011

Exactech's new Optetrak Logic knee implant effective for painful arthritis

Kevin Hindle, a 47-year-old manufacturing engineer at Exactech, Inc., a global orthopaedic device company, regained his active lifestyle with an innovative new knee implant that he helped develop.

9 Aug 2011

New Acromegaly clinical practice guidelines

Today the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) released updated Medical Guidelines for Clinical Practice for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acromegaly.

9 Aug 2011

Continuous positive airway pressure machine more effective for sleep apnea patients

Among the treatments for obstructive sleep apnea, the effectiveness of a nighttime-breathing machine called a "CPAP" was backed by the strongest evidence, and a mouthpiece worn at night was also shown to be effective, according to a new report funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

9 Aug 2011

New study looks at the role CTS patients play in medical decision-making process

Patients receiving treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) prefer to play a more collaborative role when it comes to making decisions about their medical or surgical care, according to the findings of an August 3rd issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

9 Aug 2011

Provider groups weigh in with Supreme Court on Calif. Medicaid case; Fla. docs oppose Medicaid revamp

In other Medicaid news, Texas switches its Medicaid recipients to cards instead of using monthly proof-of-coverage letters to save cash while some advocates worry that children's health could be at risk.

9 Aug 2011

NIH awards Jefferson $4.8M grant to study vaccine to clear rabies virus from central nervous system

Thomas Jefferson University received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) $4.8 million grant to test a new rabies vaccine with the potential to cure the virus infection, even after it has made its way into a person's central nervous system (CNS). Today, if an unvaccinated person is infected with rabies and it spreads to the brain, there is little chance for survival.

8 Aug 2011

Cook Medical launches Doppler DP-M350 Blood Flow Monitor

In an effort to provide surgeons and nurses with an advanced tool to better monitor blood flow during free flap procedures, Cook Medical has launched the Doppler DP-M350 Blood Flow Monitor, a medical device at the forefront of transplant and reconstructive surgery.

8 Aug 2011

HPV-related throat cancer cases increase sharply over the past 10 years

Forty-two-year-old Manahawkin, New Jersey resident David Caldarella can recite a long list of dates off the top of his head. The first one starts with the day he found a lump on the right side of his neck while shaving. It was March 23, 2010. Caldarella immediately called his physician.

8 Aug 2011

FDA approves Relievant IDE for Intracept System to treat chronic low back pain

Relievant Medsystems, Inc. today announced the company has received Food and Drug Administration approval of an Investigational Device Exemption to begin their SMART pivotal trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Intracept System for treatment of chronic low back pain.

8 Aug 2011

Bladder cancer patients can benefit from radical cystectomy surgery

Bladder cancer patients who have radical surgery at university hospitals can benefit from excellent local control of the disease, acceptable clinical outcomes and low death rates, according to research in the August issue of the urology journal BJUI.

8 Aug 2011

Los Angeles' otolaryngologist to receive AAO-HNS Distinguished Service Award

John House, MD, of Los Angeles, CA, will receive the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) Distinguished Service Award at the opening ceremony of the 2011 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in San Francisco, CA, September 11-14, 2011.

8 Aug 2011

Study: miR-200s play a paradoxical role in metastatic cancer development

While they may be small in size, a family of tiny molecules called microRNAs could potentially play a large role in the process of cancer metastasis, or the spread of cancer from one area of the body to another.

8 Aug 2011

New edition of ACOEM's Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines released

Meniscal tears of the knee (aka, torn cartilage) are extraordinarily prevalent and become universally present as one ages. Treatment often involves surgery, but is surgery the best option? Not necessarily according to scientific evidence presented in the newly published 3rd edition of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine's Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines, knee disorders chapter.

6 Aug 2011

UAB Sports Medicine to open Concussion Clinic at Children's of Alabama

From the alluring smell of concession stand snacks to the sounds of the marching band, Friday nights in the fall are full of excitement surrounding an all-American tradition: football. But the sport has gained increasing attention in recent years more for the injuries it can cause than for the game itself.

6 Aug 2011

Head and neck melanoma patients can benefit from sentinel lymph node biopsy

A common technique for determining whether melanoma has spread can be used safely and effectively even in tumors from the head and neck area, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

6 Aug 2011

Tips to prevent heat stroke among school football players

Practices for football, cross country and other high school sports are starting up this month, and many athletes will do two-a-day workouts in the August heat. Last year, four high school football players died of heat stroke, according to the Annual Survey of Football Injury Research.

6 Aug 2011

Merge Healthcare acquires Ophthalmic Imaging Systems

Merge Healthcare, a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, and Ophthalmic Imaging Systems, one of the country's top providers of digital imaging and informatics solutions for ophthalmology and other medical specialties, announced today the completion of Merge's acquisition of Ophthalmic Imaging Systems.

5 Aug 2011