Surgery News and Research

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Z-shaped incision inside the stomach enhances minimally-invasive surgery

A novel surgical technique allowing doctors to operate on patients by making a Z-shaped incision inside the stomach could potentially replace certain types of conventional surgery in humans, according to Penn State medical researchers who have successfully demonstrated the procedure in pigs.

18 Dec 2007

Researchers initiate gene therapy trial in patients with advanced skin cancer

Researchers at the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center are the first in the region to have joined a nationwide clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a gene therapy in patients with advanced melanoma which is aimed to help a patient ' s own immune system fight their cancer.

18 Dec 2007

Factors associated with survival in advanced laryngeal cancer

Type of treatment, sex, race and insurance status are associated with survival rates among patients with advanced laryngeal cancer, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

18 Dec 2007

New robotic surgery technique appears promising for the removal of cancer in tonsils

Typically, surgeons trying to remove tonsils of patients with cancer through the mouth have limited access to the area, according to background information in the article. If the cancer has spread to any of the surrounding tissues, an open approach involving cutting through the skin is needed. These procedures take a long time, can cause long-term difficulty swallowing and usually require the placement of a tracheotomy tube.

18 Dec 2007

New study looks at airway bypass treatment for emphysema

Researchers at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System have announced the start of the EASE (Exhale Airway Stents for Emphysema) Trial, an international, multi-center clinical trial to explore an investigational treatment that may offer a significant new, minimally-invasive option for those suffering with advanced widespread emphysema.

18 Dec 2007

New mechanical insights into wound healing and scar tissue formation

New research published today in the Journal of Cell Biology illuminates the mechanical factors that play a critical role in the differentiation and function of fibroblasts, connective tissue cells that play a role in wound healing and scar tissue formation.

18 Dec 2007

Massage eases pain and anxiety after surgery

A 20-minute evening back massage may help relieve pain and reduce anxiety following major surgery when given in addition to pain medications, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

18 Dec 2007

Combining medications often best strategy to battle rheumatoid arthritis

For patients with rheumatoid arthritis, combining one well-known, lower cost synthetic drug with one of six biologic medications often works best to reduce joint swelling or tenderness, according to a new report funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

18 Dec 2007

Survival shortened when estrogen or progesterone receptor negative breast cancer spreads to the brain

Two studies from Mayo Clinic's site in Jacksonville, Fla., of women whose breast cancer spread to their brain, have found that women whose tumors do not have estrogen or progesterone receptors have the worst overall outcomes.

17 Dec 2007

Controlling lupus - new drug targets found

Investigators at Hospital for Special Surgery have identified two new targets for drugs aimed at controlling lupus.

17 Dec 2007

For babies with specific complex heart defects, death risk is far lower at most experienced hospitals

Each year, thousands of babies are born with severe heart defects that must be operated on within days or weeks of their birth.

17 Dec 2007

Tumors less than 1 centimeter in size can be aggressive and may require maximum therapy

Breast tumors that are 1 centimeter in size or smaller - no more than 0.4 inch in length - can still be very aggressive and may require more intensive therapy than is routinely offered today, say researchers at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.

17 Dec 2007

Women persist in plastic surgery treatments that are not working

Women are more likely to persist with using creams, supplements and plastic surgery to look younger if they feel these are not yet working, new research says.

14 Dec 2007

Perfusion in burn injuries rapidly determined by using improved laser-Doppler technology

The perfusion of a burn injury can now rapidly be determined by using a new technique developed by scientists of the University of Twente.

14 Dec 2007

MicroRNA regulates cancer stem cells

One of the biggest stories in cancer research over the past few years has been, unexpectedly, stem cells.

14 Dec 2007

Early results show promise in reducing side effects from anastrozole

A common osteoporosis drug can shield women against the loss of bone mineral density - a side effect of the drug anastrozole which is taken to prevent breast cancer in the IBIS-2 study - according to new data presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

14 Dec 2007

Chronic knee pain: Is surgery the only solution?

The results of a study published in the online open access journal, BMC Medicine indicate that sufferers of chronic patellofemoral syndrome (PFPS), a chronic pain in the front part of the knee, gain no extra benefit from surgery.

14 Dec 2007

Blood transfusions linked to surgery complications in women

Women die and get infections more often than men after heart surgery because they tend to receive more blood transfusions, which boost the risks of bad outcomes, according to a study published in the December Journal of Women's Health.

13 Dec 2007

DAB2IP gene linked to aggressive prostate cancer

Results from two genome-wide association studies have identified a genetic variant of the DAB2IP gene that is associated with the risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

13 Dec 2007

Time to remove the stigma associated with incontinence

An independent panel convened this week by the NIH found that fewer than half of individuals experiencing fecal or urinary incontinence - the inability to control bowel movements or urination, respectively - report their symptoms to healthcare providers without being prompted.

13 Dec 2007