Surgery News and Research

RSS

Hydrogels to potentially make chemotherapy and tissue regeneration more convenient and safe

Scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) have invented an injectable and biodegradable gel that can deliver drugs at targeted sites or act as a scaffold for tissue repair.

15 Dec 2005

French surgeons ready to perform second face transplant

The French surgical team that carried out the world's first face transplant amid a storm of controversy, has apparently already selected a potential recipient for a second operation.

14 Dec 2005

Epilepsy surgery improves depression

According to a new multicenter study patients with epilepsy which does not respond to drug therapy, and who also have depression or anxiety, surgery used to treat the epilepsy often results in improvements in the psychiatric symptoms.

14 Dec 2005

Fat surrounding internal thoracic artery of humans produces a factor which can relax the artery

A team of McMaster researchers has discovered that fat tissue surrounding thoracic arteries may be beneficial in patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery.

13 Dec 2005

Fee-for-service associated with a significantly higher rate of cataract surgery

A system in which physicians are reimbursed for each procedure they perform (fee-for-service) is associated with a significantly higher rate of cataract surgery and related surgical costs, compared to a system in which physicians receive a lump sum for each patient they manage (contact capitation), according to a study in the December issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

13 Dec 2005

Antibacterial coatings on hip and knee implants cut infection rates

Putting antibacterial coatings on hip and knee implants and biomedical devices such as catheters could cut infection rates following surgery and significantly reduce health care costs and improve quality of life for patients, researchers at the University of South Australia have found.

13 Dec 2005

NHS under pressure to provide new breast cancer drugs

The National Health Service in the UK is being put under considerable pressure by Cancer charities to widen access to a promising new class of breast cancer drug as new evidence suggests the latest treatment is far superior to Tamoxifen, the long established premier drug for women with the early stage of the disease.

12 Dec 2005

Botox - other applications

While botulinum toxin A, or BTXA, is widely known for its use in dermatology and aesthetic medicine, a review article in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology explores the drug’s other successful applications.

12 Dec 2005

Study suggests a way to eliminate glioblastoma

Scientists have devised a strategy to treat tumors by selectively targeting and killing the malignant cells. A new preclinical study, published in the open access journal PLoS Medicine, has applied the approach to combat glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

7 Dec 2005

High-intensity ultrasound waves heats and destroys uterine fibroids

A totally noninvasive procedure using high-intensity ultrasound waves to heat and destroy uterine fibroid tissue significantly relieves fibroid-related symptoms in women, according to the results of a multicenter clinical trial.

7 Dec 2005

Chemotherapy is a beneficial treatment women and elderly

Although all eligible patients with stage III colon cancer should be offered adjuvant chemotherapy treatment because it improves survival, up to one-third are not, and many of these excluded patients are women and the elderly, say researchers who looked at data from more than 85,000 patients.

7 Dec 2005

Wide variation in the use of laparoscopic surgery for gall bladder removal

There is a wide variation in the use of laparoscopic surgery for gall bladder removal in Hong Kong hospitals, and use of this procedure is more likely at certain hospitals and among younger female patients operated on more recently, according to a study in the Archives of Surgery.

7 Dec 2005

New anti-clotting treatment

Volunteers at the Jack and Linda Gill Heart Institute at the University of Kentucky were the first ever to receive a new anti-clotting therapy.

7 Dec 2005

Stem cells may cause some forms of bone cancer

The researchers are the first to identify a population of cells with characteristics of adult and embryonic stem cells in cultures derived from biopsies of patients' bone tumors. They describe their findings in the medical journal Neoplasia.

7 Dec 2005

Toddlers with sleep apnea experience more respiratory disturbances when they sleep on their backs

Researchers at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston have discovered that toddlers with sleep apnea experience more respiratory disturbances when they sleep on their backs than in other positions.

7 Dec 2005

Contradiction surrounds face transplant patient

Controversy continues to grow around the world's first face transplant in France.

6 Dec 2005

Exercise good for children with heart defects

According to a new U.S. study, children born with heart defects who have traditionally been told not to exercise can improve their heart function through programs that involve exertion.

5 Dec 2005

Face transplant woman doing well

French surgeons say that the 38-year-old recipient of the world's first partial face transplant regained consciousness 24 hours after her operation and is doing well.

5 Dec 2005

Heart pump technology - comparative study

Chicago's first participant in the RELIANT (Randomized Evaluation of the Novacor(r) LVAS In A Non-Transplant Population) research study recently went home from Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

5 Dec 2005

Children with heart defects benefit from exercise

A small but compelling pilot study indicates that many children with serious congenital heart disease, who are typically urged to restrict their activity, can improve their cardiovascular function and exercise capacity through a cardiac rehabilitation program.

5 Dec 2005