Surgery News and Research

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South Australian hospital battles to contain superbug VRE

The cancer ward at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) in South Australia is currently battling to cope with an antibiotic-resistant bacteria called Vanocomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), a form of bacteria which lives in the gut.

16 Apr 2009

3 events offer hope for people with brain tumors

People with brain tumors, and those who love and care for them, will observe Brain Tumor Awareness Week with three educational and celebratory events sponsored by the University of Rochester Medical Center and James P. Wilmot Cancer Center.

16 Apr 2009

New minimally invasive surgery option for stomach cancer patients

A new study led by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) compares traditional "open" surgery to remove the stomach with laparoscopic gastrectomy - a minimally invasive procedure in which the surgeon removes the stomach while guided by a magnified image projected by a thin, lighted tube with a video camera at its tip, called a laparoscope.

15 Apr 2009

Slow-release anesthetic drug-delivery could change pain management

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have developed a slow-release anesthetic drug-delivery system that could potentially revolutionize treatment of pain during and after surgery, and may also have a large impact on chronic pain management.

15 Apr 2009

Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery benefits colorectal patients

Despite rapid strides in minimally invasive surgical techniques -- most notably, laparoscopy -- traditional open surgery remains the most common surgical option across the United States for people with diseases of the rectum and colon.

15 Apr 2009

Blood transfusions after cardiac surgery may be unnecessary

Blood transfusions carried out after cardiac surgery could be unnecessary and might cause health complications for patients.

15 Apr 2009

Single injection could treat pain days, weeks, maybe even months

15 Apr 2009

Wrist acupuncture prevents postoperative nausea and vomiting

Up to 80 percent of patients who have surgery complain of nausea and vomiting afterwards, but stimulating an acupoint in their wrists can help reduce these symptoms, finds a new evidence review.

14 Apr 2009

Surgery for obesity

Surgeons once recommended weight-loss surgery only for severely obese patients who failed to drop pounds with conventional weight-loss methods, but a review now finds that bariatric surgery helps the moderately obese lose more weight, too.

14 Apr 2009

PET/CT imaging shows if single cycle of chemo is working

Oncologists often have to wait months before they can determine whether a treatment is working.

14 Apr 2009

Surgical gel used to stop bleeding could confuse mammograms

Dr. Kathleen Ward noticed something odd when she examined the mammogram of a patient who had recently undergone breast cancer surgery.

14 Apr 2009

Scientists discover way to jumpstart bone's healing process

Rarely will physicians use the word "miraculous" when discussing patient recoveries.

14 Apr 2009

Vaccine for Enterotoxigenic E. coli developed

A Michigan State University researcher has developed a working vaccine for a strain of E. coli that kills 2 million to 3 million children each year in the developing world.

14 Apr 2009

Molecule Thymosin beta-4 prompts damaged heart cells to repair themselves after a heart attack

A protein that the heart produces during its early development reactivates the embryonic coronary developmental program and initiates migration of heart cells and blood vessel growth after a heart attack, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

14 Apr 2009

Exercise programmes reduce falls in seniors

Exercise programmes are an effective option for preventing falls among older people living in the community.

14 Apr 2009

Oral etoricoxib provides pain relief after surgery

Oral etoricoxib is at least as effective as other drugs commonly used for pain relief after surgery.

14 Apr 2009

Nerve shock implant device may help bladder control in urinary incontinence

For people with urinary incontinence who have run out of options, an electrical device might help, according to a new Cochrane Library review.

14 Apr 2009

Deep brain stimulation effective for patients with primary generalized dystonia

A new study from Mount Sinai School of Medicine finds that deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a safe and effective treatment for patients with primary generalized dystonia (PGD).

14 Apr 2009

Racial disparities persist in the treatment of lung cancer

Black patients suffering from lung cancer are less likely to receive recommended chemotherapy and surgery than white lung cancer patients, a disparity that shows no signs of lessening.

13 Apr 2009

New easy to understand guide on treatments for osteoarthritis of the knee

A new pair of plain-language guides from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) examines the effectiveness, safety, and adverse effects of various treatments for osteoarthritis of the knee, including glucosamine and chondroitin, fluid injections, arthroscopic surgery, pain medications and other approaches.

13 Apr 2009