Surgery News and Research

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Minimally invasive approach to removing diseased thyroids

An incision about half the length used for traditional surgery works just as well in removing diseased thyroids, researchers have found.

27 Jun 2005

Brief course of chemotherapy after surgery should be the new standard of care around the world

A Canadian national clinical trial has found that chemotherapy following surgery for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer significantly improves survival for the disease over just surgery alone.

27 Jun 2005

Harmonic scalpel could reduce operative time and blood loss in patients

A harmonic scalpel that uses ultrasound to coagulate as it cuts can reduce blood loss and postoperative facial paralysis in patients who need a portion of their salivary gland removed, surgeons say.

27 Jun 2005

Adult, or post-natal, stem cells have the same ability as embryonic stem cells to multiply

In a ground-breaking study, scientists at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh have discovered that adult, or post-natal, stem cells have the same ability as embryonic stem cells to multiply, a previously unknown characteristic indicating that post-natal stem cells may play an important therapeutic role.

27 Jun 2005

Guidelines for treatment of essential tremor

Imagine not being able to hold a glass, tie your shoelaces or write a check. For people with the common movement disorder known as essential tremor, simple tasks requiring fine motor coordination become increasingly difficult, sometimes even impossible.

27 Jun 2005

A blood test for thyroid cancer can detect persistent or recurrent disease even before doctors can find any trace of a tumor

The study, by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSU CCC – James), examined how well a test for thyroid cancer can predict whether the disease will recur.

27 Jun 2005

Half of American adults believe cancer myths

A new survey has discovered the quite astonishing fact that almost half of American adults mistakenly believe that surgery can spread cancer, and more than one in four thinks that a cure for cancer exists but is being kept from the public by a profit-driven health-care industry.

27 Jun 2005

Expression profiles and functional analyses of Wnt-related genes in human joint disorders

The cellular signaling protein Wnt, which is involved in embryonic development and cancer, contributes to disease progression of both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

26 Jun 2005

Study shows significant improvement in body image following cosmetic surgery

The Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation announced this week results of a new study that showed patients have significant and sustained improvements in body image after surgery.

23 Jun 2005

Patients lose trust at U.S.hospital after hydraulic fluid incident

Officials at Duke Health Raleigh Hospital has sent letters this week to about 4,000 patients whose surgeons unknowingly used instruments washed in hydraulic fluid.

23 Jun 2005

Double whammy of chemo plus surgery extends life for lung cancer patients

Recent research which has shown that chemotherapy can significantly lengthen life in many patients with lung cancer, has meant that doctors, for the first time in decades, have begun making major changes in the treatment of the disease.

23 Jun 2005

Some men with breast cancer may be having unnecessary radiotherapy

A study carried out at the British Columbia Cancer Agency in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, showed that men whose cancer had not spread beyond the breast were almost six times more likely to be given radiotherapy than were women with the equivalent stage of disease.

21 Jun 2005

Pioneering new thyroid treatment

The doctor has developed a revolutionary technique for treating hyperthyroidism, also known as Graves' Disease. And earlier this month, Culham became the first person in North America to undergo the new procedure.

21 Jun 2005

Study identifies day-of-surgery crisis

A study from Sydney University's Centre for Health Services based at Westmead Hospital, has shown that more than one in 10 operations over a six month period were cancelled at the last minute.

21 Jun 2005

Risks are too high for pregnant women during the summer

Most pregnant women don't drink, speed, or behave recklessly; yet many will end up in trauma rooms across Canada this summer.

21 Jun 2005

New study finds many concerns with clinical trials

A new study led by OHRI Scientist and University of Ottawa Professor, Dr. Dean Fergusson, has looked at current practices in justifying the conduct of clinical trials and found many concerns. For starters, the report notes, some researchers don't even look at existing evidence, repeating trials that have already been conducted and scientifically validated.

21 Jun 2005

Keyhole surgery can be safely used for the removal of tumours from the colon

The safety and short-term benefits of keyhole surgery for colon cancer have been debatable. Minimally invasive surgery for cancer reduces surgical trauma but there has been concern that it could lead to tumour recurrence.

20 Jun 2005

Children who are prone to frequent ear infections may have a high number of potentially infectious bacteria

...and a relatively low number of protective bacteria in their noses, according to a study in the June issue of Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

20 Jun 2005

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may be associated with more cases of cancers than previously thought

The relationship of GERD and adenocarcinoma (type of cancer) of the esophagus is clear for tumors located along the tubular portion of the esophagus, regardless of whether Barrett mucosa (a condition where the cellular lining of the esophagus has been changed, often caused by gastric reflux) is found.

20 Jun 2005

Researchers use novel cocktail of cells to coax muscle tissue to develop its own vascular network

For years, a major obstacle has dashed the hopes of creating "replacement parts" for the human body: the lack of an internal, nourishing blood system in engineered tissues. Without it, thicker tissues can't thrive, which has confined tissue engineering's practical application to thin skin, which can recruit blood vessels from underlying tissue.

20 Jun 2005