Surgery News and Research

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Effectiveness of interventions to promote screening for diabetic retinopathy

Increasing patient and clinician awareness and improving access to health care can encourage people with diabetes to seek annual eye exams, which help prevent a serious complication called retinopathy, according to a new systematic review of studies.

26 Sep 2007

Rehabilitation significantly underused after heart attack and bypass surgery

Despite strong evidence that cardiac rehabilitation reduces disability and prolongs life, fewer than one in five people receive rehabilitation services after a heart attack or coronary bypass surgery, according to a Brandeis study in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

26 Sep 2007

Hydrogen sulfide based drug shows promise in reducing heart-attack damage

Producing a state of "hibernation on demand" in mice by administering an experimental drug from Ikaria (an injectable formulation of the biological gas hydrogen sulfide) showed promise in a study designed to reduce damage from heart attacks.

26 Sep 2007

New lenses offer cataract patients clearer future

You're reading and you notice 3's look like 8's or vice versa. When driving, you find yourself needing to be closer to road signs to make the words out clearly. The world just starts to look a little hazy.

26 Sep 2007

New chemotherapy regimen prolongs survival in difficult-to-treat childhood brainstem gliomas

Childhood brainstem gliomas (BSGs) are rare but can be very difficult to treat successfully and they tend to have poor survival rates.

26 Sep 2007

Molecular profiling can accurately predict survival in colon cancer patients

Barcelona, Spain: Researchers in The Netherlands have developed a method of accurately predicting which patients with colon cancer are most likely to have their disease recur after surgery and who would, therefore, be likely to benefit from additional chemotherapy.

26 Sep 2007

Mobility-enhancing device set to receive Da Vinci award

Over a decade in the making, the WalkAide® System is a small device that makes a big difference for its users.

26 Sep 2007

Manipulating immune response provides new approach to liver failure

If the results of the animal study can be applied in human patients, the approach may be able to keep patients alive until donor organs become available or to support liver function until the organ can regenerate itself, eliminating the need for a transplant.

25 Sep 2007

Cardiosolutions raises $7 million for minimally invasive system for repair of regurgitant mitral valves

Cardiosolutions, Inc. has closed a $7 million Series A Convertible Preferred Stock financing led by BioVentures Investors, the company announced.

25 Sep 2007

BRCA1 gene plays significant role in non-small cell lung cancer

Barcelona, Spain: Researchers have found that the breast cancer susceptibility gene, BRCA1, plays a significant role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

25 Sep 2007

Relief for arthritic knees

If you're among the estimated 10 million Americans who have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee, take heart in knowing that several nonsurgical options, pharmacologic and otherwise, are available for easing the pain of an arthritic knee, according to Cleveland Clinic's Arthritis Advisor.

25 Sep 2007

Study helps determine best treatment for bladder cancer

Cancer specialists and researchers at Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network (UHN), are tackling an ongoing controversy about the best way to treat an aggressive form of bladder cancer – immediate radical surgery or a more conservative initial approach using immunotherapy?

25 Sep 2007

WHO essential emergency training to save lives and prevent disability

WHO is expanding its programme to train health care staff in low- and middle-income countries in essential emergency, basic surgery and anaesthesia skills.

25 Sep 2007

Breast cancer death rate continues to drop

A report from the American Cancer Society finds the breast cancer death rate in the United States continues to drop more than two percent per year, a trend that began in 1990 and is credited to progress in early detection and treatment.

25 Sep 2007

Think twice before liposuction

The death of a Canadian woman during liposuction will make many think twice before having such a procedure.

25 Sep 2007

FDA fast tracks PI-88 for the treatment of post resection liver cancer

Progen Pharmaceuticals Limited has announced that its investigational anti-cancer drug PI-88 has been awarded Fast Track status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

25 Sep 2007

Physiotherapy shows benefits for knee replacement surgery due to osteoarthritis

Physiotherapy can improve the daily lives of patients who have had knee replacement surgery due to osteoarthritis in the short term, according to a study published on bmj.com.

25 Sep 2007

New treatment for calcific tendinitis

Inflammation of a tendon triggered by calcium deposits, or calcific tendinitis, can effectively be treated with a simple and cost effective percutaneous method according to a recent study conducted by researchers from the Hospital de Basurto in Bilbao, Spain.

25 Sep 2007

Validity of publishing hospital mortality rates questioned

A previous study of mortality rates for congenital heart surgery used routinely available hospital data that were misleading, according to a report published on bmj.com which questions the validity of such data being made public.

25 Sep 2007

Vaginal brachytherapy improves quality of life after treatment for endometrial cancer

Quality of life after treatment for endometrial cancer can be significantly improved by the use of vaginal brachytherapy, where radiotherapy is delivered internally using a vaginal cylinder, the European Cancer Conference (ECCO 14).

25 Sep 2007