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Early cholesterol-lowering drug therapy reduces artery-clogging plaque

Early cholesterol-lowering drug therapy after hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome appears to reduce artery-clogging plaque, according to a study reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

25 Aug 2004

Less invasive procedure to repair aortic aneurysm could reduce death by two-thirds

Early results of a UK study published online by THE LANCET suggest that a surgical procedure to repair aortic aneurysm that is less invasive than conventional open surgery could reduce death within a month of surgery by around two-thirds.

25 Aug 2004

Researchers have identified multiple changes in the gene-expression patterns of cells involved with tumor progression in liver cancer patients

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified multiple changes in the gene-expression patterns of cells involved with tumor progression in liver cancer patients and in those with cirrhosis, which may help scientists predict a person’s risk of developing primary liver cancer.

25 Aug 2004

Revamped competitive strategies a must to sustain growth in the mature European wound closure markets

Growing emphasis on reducing hospital expenditure and drastic reductions in healthcare budgets are affecting the prices of various wound closure products (such as sutures, mechanical closure devices, wound strips and skin adhesives) across Europe.

24 Aug 2004

Diabetes and heart disease may stem from fat you can't see

Becoming fat brings conspicuous changes to the shape of the human body, but pioneering research in the Department of Medicine at Flinders University, Australia is working on the theory that the obvious "spare tyre" may not be the major culprit in fat-related diseases.

24 Aug 2004

Excessive use of diathermy could lead to increased haemorrhage rates

The postoperative haemorrhage rate in tonsillectomies which use ‘hot techniques’ such as diathermy and coblation to stop bleeding could be over three times greater than operations which use cold steel techniques, conclude authors of a study in this week’s issue of THE LANCET.

23 Aug 2004

COX2 inhibitor lumiracoxib could be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis

The use of non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is widespread to reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis; however the sideeffects of these drugs can be severe, sometimes leading to gastro-intestinal ulcer complications which account for around 7000 US and 1000 UK deaths each year.

21 Aug 2004

Research sheds shed light on a common cause of miscarriage in humans

Top poker players know that the face mirrors the brain. Specialists in embryonic development wouldn’t disagree. In fact, because the same clumps of primordial cells mold the final features of both, a close look at a child’s face can often yield clues about less visible problems within the skull

20 Aug 2004

Evidence of pelvic floor nerve injury after routine vaginal birth

Women with pelvic floor disorders suffer from urinary and fecal incontinence as well as prolapse of the bowel, bladder and reproductive organs. (Bowel prolapse occurs when the bowel slips out of place, and pushes up against the walls of the vagina, which may cause a great deal of discomfort.)

20 Aug 2004

Study to compare prostate surgery and drugs

The Minimally Invasive Surgical Therapies (MIST) Consortium for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) has launched a new study to compare long-term benefits and risks of transurethral needle ablation (TUNA) and transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) to a regimen of the alpha-1 inhibitor alfuzosin and the 5-alpha reductase inhibitor finasteride.

20 Aug 2004

New type of artificial hip - ceramic-on-metal

A new type of artificial hip, more robust and longer lasting than conventional artificial joints, is to undergo clinical trials and could be available for patients within five years.

20 Aug 2004

Performance of individual surgeons in the UK will be made publicly available

Later this year, the performance of individual surgeons in the UK will be made publicly available, but the move remains controversial. Researchers in this week's BMJ discuss the issues in relation to cardiothoracic surgery.

20 Aug 2004

60 percent of people with Crohn's disease have required surgery within the past five years

According to results released today from the newest survey of people with Crohn's disease, "Voices of Crohn's," 60 percent of people with Crohn's, between the ages of 18 and 34, have been hospitalized within the last two years and more than half have required surgery within the past five years.

18 Aug 2004

Majority of LASIK recipients are happy with the results

The majority of the million plus people having LASIK each year to correct their vision are happy with the results, according to a 15-year literature review that indicates most reasons for discontent could be resolved with more patient education before surgery.

18 Aug 2004

Limb-sparing technique called rotationplasty helps very young children with bone cancer

The current issue of New England Journal of Medicine illustrates a case of a five-year-old girl with Ewing’s sarcoma, a cancerous tumor, behind her left knee. Surgeons at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia used a limb-sparing technique called rotationplasty to remove the diseased portion of bone, turn the shortened portion of the leg bone in a half-circle and reattach it, with the ankle joint functioning as a knee.

18 Aug 2004

Corkscrew-like device that removes blood clots from the brains of stroke sufferers

The device "appears fairly safe and has the potential to make dramatic differences in stroke therapy," said Wayne Clark, M.D., professor of neurology and director of the Oregon Stroke Center.

18 Aug 2004

80% of cancer patients use some form of complementary or alternative therapies

Plug the terms "alternative" and "cancer" into Google and the Internet search engine returns a list of 3.27 million - yes, million - sites with information both credible and questionable about nontraditional treatments for cancer. What's a cancer patient to make of such a vast array of options?

18 Aug 2004

Surgery News and Research

Early cholesterol-lowering drug therapy reduces artery-clogging plaque

Less invasive procedure to repair aortic aneurysm could reduce death by two-thirds

Researchers have identified multiple changes in the gene-expression patterns of cells involved with tumor progression in liver cancer patients

Revamped competitive strategies a must to sustain growth in the mature European wound closure markets

Diabetes and heart disease may stem from fat you can't see

Excessive use of diathermy could lead to increased haemorrhage rates

COX2 inhibitor lumiracoxib could be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis

Research sheds shed light on a common cause of miscarriage in humans

Evidence of pelvic floor nerve injury after routine vaginal birth

Study to compare prostate surgery and drugs

New type of artificial hip - ceramic-on-metal

Performance of individual surgeons in the UK will be made publicly available

60 percent of people with Crohn's disease have required surgery within the past five years

Majority of LASIK recipients are happy with the results

Limb-sparing technique called rotationplasty helps very young children with bone cancer

Corkscrew-like device that removes blood clots from the brains of stroke sufferers

80% of cancer patients use some form of complementary or alternative therapies

Methods using preventive analgesia to treat pain after surgery before it develops

Scientists have successfully filmed individual cells migrating within a functioning lymph node

Not all good cholesterol helps to protect arteries from becoming clogged with fatty deposits

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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