Surgery News and Research

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Short pulses of low-energy laser light create better medical images

Detection and treatment of tumours, diseased blood vessels and other soft-tissue conditions could be significantly improved, thanks to an innovative imaging system being developed that uses both light and sound.

13 Dec 2007

New minimally invasive procedure for torn aorta repair

Tears in the aorta which affect thousands of people each year coast to coast, may soon be treated with a much less invasive technique that could dramatically improve patients' chances of survival.

13 Dec 2007

Telmisartan potent against stroke

Telmisartan, a drug widely used to help control blood pressure, may have uniquely potent activity in preventing stroke, according to a new study conducted in an animal model.

13 Dec 2007

U.S. healthcare facilities aren't doing enough to protect patients from MRSA

U.S. healthcare facilities aren't doing enough to protect patients from Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, according to a new poll of infection control professionals released today.

12 Dec 2007

Biodegradable polymers with neurotransmitters promote nerve regrowth

Research reported December 11 in the journal Advanced Materials describes a potentially promising strategy for encouraging the regeneration of damaged central nervous system cells known as neurons.

12 Dec 2007

Exercise testing to predict mitral regurgitation

In as many as one in five people over age 55, when the heart contracts to send blood around the body, some degree of backward leakage occurs across the mitral valve, a condition known as mitral regurgitation (MR).

12 Dec 2007

Exercise testing may help predict seriousness of mitral regurgitation

12 Dec 2007

Popular heartburn drug given the all clear

Concerns that a drug used to treat stomach conditions such as heartburn could cause heart problems have been laid to rest by a comprehensive review.

11 Dec 2007

Physicians seek strategies to improve the quality of sleep in ICU

The sleep patterns of patients in the intensive care unit are so superficial that they barely spend any time in the restorative stages of sleep that aid in healing, UT Southwestern Medical Center physicians have found.

10 Dec 2007

Patients without advance care plans more likely to die

Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found only half of patients undergoing stem cell transplantation had advance care plans - documents such as living wills, power of attorney for health care, or life-support instructions - and those without plans were three times more likely to die during or after surgery.

10 Dec 2007

Living longer with obesity means heavier burden for hospitals

Living longer with obesity can lead to both longer hospital stays and more avoidable trips to the hospital, according to two new studies from Purdue University.

10 Dec 2007

FDA concludes no increased risk of cardiac events for patients treated with omeprazole and Nexium

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued its final assessment of two small, open, long-term, clinical studies in patients with gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), comparing anti-reflux surgery with either omeprazole (SOPRAN study) or NEXIUM (LOTUS study) treatment.

10 Dec 2007

FDA approves trial for SKCC breast cancer vaccine

The Federal Drug Administration announced Friday approval of a Phase 1 clinical trial designed to study a breast cancer vaccine developed at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center.

10 Dec 2007

New minimally invasive method to repair tears in the aorta

Tears in the aorta which affect thousands of people each year coast to coast, may soon be treated with a much less invasive technique that could dramatically improve patients' chances of survival.

10 Dec 2007

Potential blood test to detect lung cancer

A test for four blood proteins may provide a less-invasive follow-up for patients who have suspicious lesions on chest radiographs or computerized tomography (CT) scans, according to a new study led by Duke University Medical Center researchers.

10 Dec 2007

Safe and effective therapy discovered for patients with protein-losing enteropathy

Researchers at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham Institute) have developed the first model to study intestinal protein leakage in mice, allowing the team to control and replicate both genetic deficiencies and environmental damages in an in vivo setting.

10 Dec 2007

Adrenalectomy shown to benefit those with mild Cushing syndrome

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that patients with a mild form of Cushing syndrome, a metabolic disorder caused by adrenal tumors, demonstrate substantial clinical improvement after adrenalectomy.

10 Dec 2007

New radiotherapy system benefits high-risk patients

A new radiotherapy system that combines high-tech imaging with precision tumor-targeting capability is helping cancer specialists at Stony Brook University Medical Center treat patients.

10 Dec 2007

Concept of patients' charters 'inadequate'

The concept of patients' charters is inadequate and should be replaced with charters of health responsibilities, argues an expert in this week's British Medical Journal.

10 Dec 2007

ACG offers updated clinical guidance for managing pregnant patients

Physician experts from the American College of Gastroenterology have released an updated educational monograph highlighting the unique clinical challenges of caring for women with chronic digestive disorders during pregnancy and managing GI complications relating to pregnancy.

10 Dec 2007