Surgery News and Research

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Researchers to develop tailor-made pain management strategies for chronic pain

Research presented at this year's American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting offers new data in the quest to develop tailor-made pain management strategies based upon a patient's genetic predisposition and other important factors.

20 Oct 2010

FDA provides update on three-part study of LASIK procedure

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today provided an update on a three-part study of LASIK (Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis), a vision improvement procedure.

20 Oct 2010

Turmeric component enhances chemotherapy's suppression of head and neck cancer

Curcumin, the major component in the spice turmeric, when combined with the drug Cisplatin enhances the chemotherapy's suppression of head and neck cancer cell growth, researchers with UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center have found.

20 Oct 2010

Cataract surgery also reduces car crashes

Cataract surgery not only improves vision and quality of life for older people, but is also apparently a way to reduce the number of car crashes. The research will be presented today's at the Scientific Program of the 2010 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) - Middle East-Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) Joint Meeting.

20 Oct 2010

Aspirin before cardiac surgery reduces postoperative cardiocerebral complications

A study presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists 2010 Annual Meeting revealed that use of aspirin before cardiac surgery reduced postoperative cardiocerebral complications, including stroke, myocardial ischemia, heart block and cardiac arrest by more than 33 percent when compared to patients who did not use aspirin.

20 Oct 2010

Smokers have more complications and higher death rate after surgery than non-smokers

Results from a clinical study presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2010 found that smokers have significantly more complications post-surgery than non-smokers, including a higher death rate.

20 Oct 2010

Preoperative statin therapy prior to coronary bypass surgery improves survival rate

Findings from a study presented at this year's American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting reveal that patients who undergo preoperative statin therapy prior to coronary bypass surgery have a better survival rate.

20 Oct 2010

MD Anderson treats lung cancer with pencil beam scanning proton therapy

Pencil beam scanning technology, an even more advanced and targeted form of radiation treatment known as proton therapy, is now being used to treat patients with lung cancer at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

20 Oct 2010

Hospital mortality rates decline by 7.98% from 2007 to 2009

A new independent study by HealthGrades of patient outcomes at America's hospitals found that patients at 5-star rated hospitals had a 72% lower risk of dying when compared with patients at 1-star-rated hospitals -- an enormous gap that has held steady over the past years even as overall mortality rates have improved.

20 Oct 2010

Osteoporosis drug heals bone wounds in gum disease patients

A drug marketed to grow bone in osteoporosis patients also works to heal bone wounds in gum disease patients, a University of Michigan study suggests.

20 Oct 2010

Inguinal lymph node dissection with spinal anesthesia improves prognosis in patients with malignant melanoma

A study presented at this year's American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting offers evidence that patients with malignant melanoma who undergo inguinal lymph node dissection with spinal anesthesia (a regional anesthetic) have a better prognosis than patients who undergo the same surgery with general anesthesia.

20 Oct 2010

Dexamethasone improves quality of life after laparoscopic gallbladder surgery

A study presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists 2010 Annual Meeting in San Diego seems to confirm that a single, small dose of the steroid dexamethasone improves the post-surgical quality of life of patients receiving laparoscopic gallbladder surgery.

20 Oct 2010

BCAN holds regional Bladder Cancer Patient Forum at New York Academy of Medicine

Bladder cancer is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, yet most people know nothing about it. To help enhance the public's understanding of the risks and signs of bladder cancer and the importance of early detection and treatment options, the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) will hold its regional Bladder Cancer Patient Forum "Understanding Bladder Cancer" on Saturday, October 23, 2010, in New York City at the New York Academy of Medicine.

20 Oct 2010

Studies explore efforts to measure, improve hospitals' surgical outcomes

Hospital Compare, an HHS website that allows patients to compare hospitals online using various indicators of quality, is intended to help them choose better facilities for their medical care. But a new report in the Archives of Surgery says the website doesn't help Medicare beneficiaries in need of certain high-risk surgeries find better facilities.

20 Oct 2010

Japanese study finds proton beam therapy safe and effective for Stage I inoperable NSCLC

Proton beam therapy is safe and effective and may be superior to other conventional treatments for Stage I inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, according to a study in the October issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology•Biology•Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

20 Oct 2010

When hospital checklists don't tell the whole story

Kaiser Health News staff writer Aimee Miles reports: "The whole idea behind HHS' Hospital Compare is simple: patients can shop around by putting in their zip codes and the website churns out a list of nearby hospitals, with detail on available services, care outcomes, patient satisfaction ratings and more.

20 Oct 2010

Ceregene commences enrollment in CERE-120 Phase 2b study for Parkinson's disease

Ceregene, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, announced today that enrollment has begun in a new double-blind sham surgery-controlled Phase 2b study evaluating CERE-120 in Parkinson's disease patients. CERE-120 is a gene therapy product that delivers the neurotrophic factor neurturin to degenerating or dying dopamine neurons. Data from the first Phase 2 clinical trial of CERE-120 are being published later this year in Lancet Neurology (to appear online October 21, 2010).

20 Oct 2010

Xenogenics acquires Ideal BioStent assets

MultiCell Technologies, Inc. and its majority owned subsidiary, Xenogenics Corporation, are pleased to announce the acquisition of the Ideal™ BioStent assets by Xenogenics Corporation from investment funds managed by Western Technology Investment and Silicon Valley Bank. Xenogenics Corporation also entered into a worldwide exclusive license with Rutgers University for rights to certain intellectual property related to the Ideal™ BioStent.

19 Oct 2010

Syneron launches VelaBABE device for women to reclaim pre-baby body

Syneron Medical Ltd., a leading medical aesthetic device innovator, is announcing their new VelaBABE promotion for women who want to reclaim their pre-baby body with help from VelaShape.

19 Oct 2010

Johnson & Johnson third quarter sales decrease 0.7% to $15.0 billion

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $15.0 billion for the third quarter of 2010, a decrease of 0.7% as compared to the third quarter of 2009. Operational results increased 0.1% and the negative impact of currency was 0.8%. Domestic sales declined 2.5%, while international sales increased 1.1%, reflecting operational growth of 2.6% and a negative currency impact of 1.5%.

19 Oct 2010