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Heart transplant patient becomes unexpected ambassador for organ donation

Kevin Riepl arrived at Cedars-Sinai in October 2010, suffering from sudden heart failure that left him fighting for his life. Surgeons swiftly installed a heart pump and later transplanted a new heart, saving his life and turning him into an unexpected ambassador for organ donation.

29 Dec 2012

Anesthesia choice may benefit knee arthroplasty patients

Spinal anesthesia could reduce the risk for postoperative complications in select patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty, US researchers say.

28 Dec 2012

Routine reimaging unnecessary after mild head injury

Scheduling a repeat computed tomography scan for patients with mild traumatic brain injury and stable neurologic signs is unnecessary, given that it rarely changes management, say Canadian researchers.

28 Dec 2012

Surgeons: Support your low-income neighbor

Patients with cancer in low-income nations present for surgical treatment at a young age, advanced stage of disease, and often receive palliative rather than curative procedures, suggests a study in Malawi.

28 Dec 2012

Ulcerative colitis impairs work capacity

Patients with ulcerative colitis have higher rates of sick leave or disability pension than the general population, show findings published in Gastroenterology.

28 Dec 2012

Scientists identify molecular mechanism central to development of osteoarthritis pain

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center, in collaboration with researchers at Northwestern University, have identified a molecular mechanism central to the development of osteoarthritis (OA) pain, a finding that could have major implications for future treatment of this often-debilitating condition.

28 Dec 2012

BGU and CCHMC receive early stage funding to develop three new pediatric medical devices

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) have received early stage funding to develop three new devices that have applications for pediatric medical markets, as part of a collaboration announced this past spring.

28 Dec 2012

Researchers sequence entire gene to identify mutations that cause hyperinsulinism

Congenital hyperinsulinism is a genetic condition where a baby's pancreas secretes too much insulin. It affects approximately one in 50,000 live births and in severe cases requires the surgical removal of all or part of the pancreas.

28 Dec 2012

Bariatric surgery succeeds when new year resolutions to lose weight fail

For years Blanca Ramirez, like many Americans, started each new year with a resolution to lose weight. But no more. "I lost 55 pounds this year and the weight is rolling off and will stay off," said the 42 year-old, married, mother of three. Ramirez underwent bariatric surgery at Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery & Bariatric Care in August and has lost 55 pounds in four months.

28 Dec 2012

Immune-promoting drugs may control recurrent disease

Nearly half of the 700,000 cancer patients who undergo surgical removal of a primary tumor each year suffer a recurrence of their disease at some point, and many of those patients will eventually die from their disease.

28 Dec 2012

Implementation of appropriateness criteria required for elective procedures

Many of the most common inpatient surgeries in the United States are performed electively. These surgeries are expected to significantly increase with the enactment of the Affordable Care Act.

27 Dec 2012

Genetic differences in enzyme CYP2D6 play a key role in effectiveness of tamoxifen for breast cancer

For nearly a decade, breast cancer researchers studying the hormone therapy tamoxifen have been divided as to whether genetic differences in a liver enzyme affect the drug's effectiveness and the likelihood breast cancer will recur.

27 Dec 2012

Use of CT scans for children suspected of having appendicitis varies among hospitals

Children suspected of having appendicitis are more likely to receive CT scans, which involve radiation, if they are evaluated at a general hospital, a new study by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has shown.

25 Dec 2012

Study suggests genetic component in pain response among children

At least two common gene variants are linked to "clinically meaningful" differences in pain scores in children after major surgery, reports a study in the January issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

25 Dec 2012

BRCA testing impact on ovarian cancer prevention revealed

Research shows that women without a confirmed BRCA mutation are choosing to undergo screening or surgery to prevent ovarian cancer, despite little evidence to support their use in this population.

24 Dec 2012

Comorbidity could alter joint arthroplasty prognosis

The long-term outcome of hip and knee arthroplasty may be significantly influenced by comorbidity, suggest results from a large register-based study of over 96,000 osteoarthritis patients.

22 Dec 2012

Gene therapy shows promise for severe coronary artery disease

Diagnosed with severe coronary artery disease, a group of patients too ill for or not responding to other treatment options decided to take part in a clinical trial testing angiogenic gene therapy to help rebuild their damaged blood vessels.

21 Dec 2012

Cubist seeks FDA sNDA approval for ENTEREG to accelerate GI recovery

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBST) today announced that it has submitted a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting approval for the use of ENTEREG® (alvimopan) to accelerate GI recovery following any surgery that includes a bowel resection with primary anastomosis; expanded from the current indication in patients requiring surgery for colorectal disease.

21 Dec 2012

Findings quantify national rate of surgical 'never events'

After a cautious and rigorous analysis of national malpractice claims, Johns Hopkins patient safety researchers estimate that a surgeon in the United States leaves a foreign object such as a sponge or a towel inside a patient's body after an operation 39 times a week, performs the wrong procedure on a patient 20 times a week and operates on the wrong body site 20 times a week.

21 Dec 2012

Many surgeons refuse to operate without patient's commitment to postoperative treatment

Patients who want to limit the amount of life support they receive after surgery might have a hard time finding a surgeon willing to do the procedure, according to a new study from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

21 Dec 2012