Surgery News and Research

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Fugitive TB patient's father-in-law a TB expert at the CDC

The air traveller who flitted across Europe in a bid to avoid authorities because he had a rare form of tuberculosis (TB), apparently has a father-in-law who is a tuberculosis researcher for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S.

3 Jun 2007

Scientist's discovery of role of Aquaporin in spinal injuries recognized with research funding award

Dr. Olivera Nesic-Taylor, an assistant professor in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Texas, Galveston, was presented with the Erica Nader Award for 'breakthrough research in spinal cord regeneration.'

3 Jun 2007

Genetic testing helps cancer survivors fight for their loved ones

Family members of those who are successfully fighting cancer are protecting themselves and their families from the disease through genetic testing and hereditary cancer risk assessment.

3 Jun 2007

FDA approves Norditropin for short stature in children with Noonan syndrome

Novo Nordisk has announced that Norditropin (somatropin[rDNA origin] injection) received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of short stature in children with Noonan syndrome.

3 Jun 2007

Blood test may help signal tumor's remission, return in throat cancer patients

A blood test that detects proteins commonly released by a growing tumor could one day become a useful tool for monitoring the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation treatment in people with advanced throat cancer, according to a study published in the June 1, 2007, issue of Clinical Cancer Research .

3 Jun 2007

Study questions risks of aprotinin during heart surgery

Contrary to recent studies, proper use of a drug called aprotinin to reduce bleeding during heart surgery does not increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, according to a study in the June issue of The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.

1 Jun 2007

New insights into visual disturbances accompanying skull deformations

Most children with a craniofacial deformity known as unicoronal synostosis have the eye-alignment abnormality strabismus, reports a study in the May Journal of Craniofacial Surgery , published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

1 Jun 2007

Surgery best for degenerative spondylolisthesis with spinal stenosis

In one of the three most common back conditions for which patients seek treatment, surgery proved to have substantially better results than non-surgical remedies, according to Dartmouth-led research published in the May 31 New England Journal of Medicine.

1 Jun 2007

New method for making the surface of metal stents highly nano porous

Stents are medical implants that, for example, prevent the blocking of arteries after surgery.

1 Jun 2007

New center for the treatment of sarcoma at Cedars-Sinai

A new center for the treatment of sarcoma, a type of cancer that affects bone and soft tissue, will open on June 12 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute.

1 Jun 2007

Temsirolimus, effective new treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma

The results of a phase III, randomized clinical study involving patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma and poor prognostic features show temsirolimus improved overall survival when compared to the current treatment for this stage of disease.

1 Jun 2007

Breakthrough in stem cell banking

Scientists from the Research Department of Cryo-Save Group NV together with the University of Cologne (DE) have developed a new scientifically validated method to collect adult mesenchymal stem cells ("MSCs") from the lining of umbilical cord tissue.

1 Jun 2007

EASE - Exhale Airway Stents for Emphysema - trial

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center 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 new, minimally-invasive option for those suffering with advanced widespread emphysema.

1 Jun 2007

Overdiagnosis of congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS)

Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) can be lethal if not diagnosed -- yet recent increased awareness of the disorder may lead to diagnosing patients when they don't have the syndrome and then prescribing treatments that restrict patients' lifestyles, a new Mayo Clinic study shows.

1 Jun 2007

Obese patients are at higher risk for pancreatic surgery complications

Obesity may contribute to a greater likelihood of post-operative complications for patients having pancreatic surgery, a surgeon at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital has found.

1 Jun 2007

Review of small penis syndrome

Women are much more interested in a man's personality and looks than the size of his penis, but men can experience real anxiety even if they are average sized, according to a research review published in the June issue of the urology journal BJU International.

1 Jun 2007

Groundbreaking robotic pancreatectomy

Surgeons at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago performed a groundbreaking robotic pancreatectomy in a 39-year-old man to relieve him of debilitating pain.

1 Jun 2007

Cartilage shield restores hearing in some otitis media infection patients

Inserting a “shield” of cartilage into the inner ear is a less invasive and more cost-effective alternative to membrane reconstruction when treating hearing loss in selected patients suffering from chronic middle ear infections (otitis media), according to a new study published in the June 2007 edition of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery .

1 Jun 2007

Advances in epilepsy treatment

Epilepsy and seizures affect 2.5 million Americans, 181,000 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed every year, and the disorder incurs an estimated $12.5 billion in annual direct and indirect costs.

1 Jun 2007

Back surgery or grin and bear it?

A couple of new studies by researchers in the U.S. and the Netherlands have found that though surgery is effective for people with a slipped or misaligned disk, it often is not necessary if patients can summon up enough patience and wait awhile.

31 May 2007