Surgery News and Research

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More synergy in public health between Methodist-Houston and Weill Cornell

A noted authority in health services research, critical care and geriatric medicine, Dr. Marc D. Silverstein has been appointed chairman of a newly created Department of Public Health at The Methodist Hospital in Houston.

11 Mar 2007

Lipitor given the green light for more heart risk patients

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. has given approval for the best seller drug Lipitor to be used in five new categories.

8 Mar 2007

Women from poor backgrounds fare worse with breast cancer

Women from more deprived backgrounds have worse treatment and a lower breast cancer survival rate than their more affluent counterparts - according to a new study published by Cancer Research UK in the British Journal of Cancer.

7 Mar 2007

Arm yourself with knowledge before plastic surgery

Despite the fact that 8 out of 10 patients who have plastic surgery are happy with the results, nearly 40 percent wish they had done better research before the operation with regard to the potential side effects and complications.

6 Mar 2007

The model for end-stage liver disease

A review of the studies on the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) found that it is an accurate predictor of survival of patients with a variety of liver diseases, is particularly useful in allocating organs for liver transplants, and can also be used to help determine the course of treatment in certain cases. However, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the model and efforts at refining will continue.

5 Mar 2007

Life-saving cancer genetic testing vastly underutilized

A study released today at the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists 38th Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer found few patients were aware of genetic cancer syndromes and the high risk of developing cancer if genetic mutations were found. Fewer still were motivated to follow up on this information with their own healthcare provider or genetic counseling/testing services.

5 Mar 2007

Translaminar technique reduces neck pain without significant risk of paralysis

In the largest series of patients to date, recent research shows that the translaminar approach to cervical spinal steroid injections can reduce neck pain in eighty-three percent of those treated.

5 Mar 2007

Ink-jet printing of bone

A modified ink-jet printer can be used to directly print layer upon layer of artificial bone for quick-fix grafts used in reconstructive surgery.

4 Mar 2007

New surgical technique decreases colorectal 'OR' time

For patients with colorectal cancer who require the surgical removal of a part of their colon (colectomy), an experimental procedure that combines the benefits of laparoscopic surgery and open surgery may decrease the time they spend in the operating room.

4 Mar 2007

New combined laparoscopy and colonoscopy procedure at NYPH/Weill Cornell

A small number of patients diagnosed with polyps in their large intestine have extensive or difficult-to-remove polyps, such as those that are flattened against the colon wall or in hard-to-reach places. As with all polyps that may develop into malignant cancers, they must be removed.

4 Mar 2007

Surgery, shock waves both effective for removing kidney stones

Two common methods for removing kidney stones - surgery and shock wave treatments - are effective and safe, and neither is clearly superior to the other, researchers report in a new systematic review of studies. But these conclusions aren't based on particularly strong data, the researchers say.

1 Mar 2007

New clues may explain why Graves' disease attacks muscle tissue behind eyes

UCLA researchers have uncovered new clues that may explain why Graves' disease (GD) attacks the muscle tissue behind the eyes, often causing them to bulge painfully from their sockets, as in the late actor Marty Feldman.

1 Mar 2007

Prostate brachytherapy causes fewer side effects than surgery

Men with prostate cancer have a slightly better long-term side effects profile with radiation seed implants than they do with surgery, according to a study released today in the International Journal for Radiation Oncology-Biology-Physics, the official journal of ASTRO.

28 Feb 2007

Differences in outcomes of obese women and men undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty

Obese patients tend to have a higher prevalence of total hip replacements due to a higher incidence of hip osteoarthritis. This is of particular concern in light of the trend in rising rates of obesity in developed countries.

28 Feb 2007

Heart attacks can give couples a new lease of life

A third of people who suffer heart attacks discover new meaning to their lives and reconnect with their partner, but others see it as a threat to their well-ordered existence, according to research published in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing.

28 Feb 2007

Botox could be used to treat incontinence and cystitis

It has won an army of celebrity fans for banishing crow's feet and frown lines, but the use of Botox to combat bladder problems such as incontinence has been hailed as a 'major advance' by a urology expert.

From Sheffield Hallam University 27 Feb 2007

Stanford student is visionary behind global fight againts blindness

Six years ago, as a 19-year-old college sophomore, Jennifer Staple decided to battle preventable blindness so she started the nonprofit "Unite for Sight" with a staff of one: herself.

27 Feb 2007

Cancer Research UK secures fenretinide orphan drug licence

A previously shelved drug could prove effective for treating a group of rare childhood cancers, and Cancer Research UK today announced it has been granted exclusive marketing rights for the drug in these indications by the European Commission and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

27 Feb 2007

New treatment for migraines combines Botox and surgery

Five years ago, Sharon Schafer Bennett suffered from migraines so severe that the headaches disrupted her life, kept her from seeking a job and interfered with participation in her children's daily activities.

27 Feb 2007

Study on waking and dreaming during surgery

In the latest research concerning general anesthesia during surgery, researchers in Sweden say patients who wake up during the procedure and have a clear memory of the event may develop acute distress and emotional reactions, and in some cases long-term psychological symptoms.

25 Feb 2007