Surgery News and Research

RSS

Northwestern Medicine participates in world's first human embryonic stem cell clinical trial for spinal cord injury

Northwestern Medicine is the first site open for enrollment in a national clinical research trial of a human embryonic stem cell-based therapy for participants with a subacute thoracic spinal cord injury. Following the procedure, participants will receive rehabilitation treatment at The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC).

23 Sep 2010

Women face sexual function problems after breast cancer

A new study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine looked at whether women were more likely to experience sexual problems after breast cancer. The results showed that 70% of women were facing sexual function problems approximately two years post diagnosis.

23 Sep 2010

Beta-Pro donates human pancreatic islet cells to diabetes researcher

The cellular services company Beta-Pro LLC, announced today that it donated more than 300,000 human pancreatic islet cells to nationally renowned diabetes researcher Raghavendra G. Mirmira, M.D., Ph.D., the Eli Lilly & Co. Professor of Pediatric Diabetes, Indiana University School of Medicine, Herman B.

23 Sep 2010

Mother’s miracle surgery for cancer - body cut in half

Janis Ollson, 31 became the first patient to survive a rare bone cancer which required her body to be cut in half. When she was pregnant with her second child doctors assumed her intense back pain was just a typical symptom of pregnancy. But soon she was diagnosed with a bone cancer called sarcoma that was untreatable by chemotherapy or radiation.

23 Sep 2010

APF launches new educational initiative for people with pain, health care professionals

The American Pain Foundation today announced the launch of PainSAFE (Pain Safety & Access For Everyone), a new educational initiative designed for people with pain and health care professionals. The mission of PainSAFE is to provide education surrounding the appropriate and safe use of pain management therapies for people affected by pain and health care professionals, thereby, helping to reduce risk and improve access to quality pain care.

22 Sep 2010

Viking Systems to demonstrate 3DHD Visualization System at Sony's media event

Viking Systems, Inc. announced today its Next Generation 3DHD Visualization System for use in minimally invasive surgery will be prominently featured at Sony's media event to be held September 23, 2010 at Sony's offices in New York, NY. Jed Kennedy, Viking Systems President and CEO and Gerald Andriole, M.D., Medical Advisor to Viking Systems will address the media and explain the features and benefits of the system.

22 Sep 2010

Newborn Coalition praises SACHDNC's Critical Congenital Heart Disease universal screening recommendation

In a historic vote on September 17, 2010, the Secretary's Advisory Committee for Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (SACHDNC) unanimously agreed to recommend the addition of screening for Critical Cyanotic Congenital Heart Disease to the core panel for universal screening of all newborns in the United States.

22 Sep 2010

AACR to host fourth International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics

The American Association for Cancer Research will host its Fourth AACR International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development from Sept. 27-30, 2010, at the Sheraton Denver Downtown in Denver, Colo.

22 Sep 2010

Pancreas releases new NANETS guidelines on rare group of cancers

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are a group of rare cancers that pose unique challenges in diagnosis and treatment. In a recent issue of Pancreas, official journal of the American Pancreatic Association, presents the newly developed consensus guidelines of the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS).

22 Sep 2010

Masimo's noninvasive SpMet provides measurements comparable to invasive methemoglobin testing

Masimo announced today that a new clinical study published in Anesthesia & Analgesia demonstrates that Masimo noninvasive and continuous methemoglobin (SpMet®) measurements provide a high degree of agreement in measurements with corresponding laboratory values of methemoglobin obtained by invasive methemoglobin testing. In addition, the authors concluded that SpMet could facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of methemoglobinemia during high-risk procedures.

22 Sep 2010

Study links progressive osteoarthritis to IL-1Ra gene variations

Scientists from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and Interleukin Genetics, Inc. announced today findings from a large clinical study to evaluate the role played by genetic factors in the worsening of osteoarthritis.

22 Sep 2010

Novartis' SOM230 reduces cortisol levels in Cushing's disease patients

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced today that the results of a Phase III study of SOM230 (pasireotide) showed a reduction in cortisol levels in patients with Cushing's disease, a condition in which a benign (non-cancerous) pituitary tumor causes the adrenal glands to produce excess cortisol and can be fatal. Results will be presented at the 14th Congress of the European Neuroendocrine Association (ENEA).

22 Sep 2010

Individual costs of being overweight and obese in the U.S.

The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services' Department of Health Policy today released a report that, for the first time, calculated the startlingly high individual costs of obesity to Americans.

22 Sep 2010

Study: New percutaneous mitral valve clip offers marked clinical benefit

A percutaneous mitral valve clip designed to stop mitral valve regurgitation demonstrated clinical benefit as measured by the degree of mitral regurgitation, according to a study presented at the 22nd annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation.

22 Sep 2010

Obesity hurts wallets and health, especially in women

The Associated Press: Obese women incur higher costs, both to their health and wallets, than men, according to a new study by researchers at George Washington University. "George Washington University researchers added in things like employee sick days, lost productivity, even the need for extra gasoline — and found the annual cost of being obese is $4,879 for a woman and $2,646 for a man.

22 Sep 2010

Lehigh Valley Health Network automates IRB processes with Click Commerce eResearch Portal software

Click Commerce, the pioneer in customer-configurable solutions for the business of research, announced today that Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) will use the company's eResearch Portal software to automate its Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes, which monitor the safe and ethical conduct of research involving human subjects.

21 Sep 2010

Amedica announces US Spine acquisition

Amedica Corporation (AC), a spinal and orthopaedic implant and instrument company focused on unique silicon nitride (SiN) ceramic technologies, announced today that it has acquired US Spine, a privately held, well-known medical device company focused on the development and commercialization of advanced spinal implant systems.

21 Sep 2010