Elective Surgery News and Research

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Elective surgery is surgery that is not urgently required due to an emergency. Elective surgery may be performed for medical purposes, such as cataract surgery, or for other work such as breast implants. These are procedures that the person requiring them decides to undertake, and which may be helpful, but are not necessarily essential.

Men benefit from ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms

Men benefit from one-time screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms via ultrasound. Studies provide proof that their risk of dying is reduced, the abdominal aorta ruptures less often, and emergency surgery can be avoided more often. Far fewer data are available for women and they show no relevant differences between the groups investigated.

11 Jun 2015

Despite low value and high costs, certain preoperative tests still common in U.S.

Professional physician associations consider certain routine tests before elective surgery to be of low value and high cost, and have sought to discourage their utilization.

9 Jun 2015

Many Medicare patients undergo unnecessary routine preoperative tests before cataract surgery

More than half of all Medicare patients who have cataract surgery undergo unnecessary routine preoperative testing, despite strong evidence that these tests are usually not beneficial and increase national health care costs, reports a study published on April 16 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

17 Apr 2015

Implementation of video-based decision aids influences care decisions in urology

After Group Health Cooperative implemented video-based decision aids for men with two common prostate conditions, rates of elective surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and rates of active treatment for localized prostate cancer declined over six months.

24 Mar 2015

Study findings question benefit of giving sedatives before surgery for patients under general anesthesia

Although sedatives are often administered before surgery, a randomized trial finds that among patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia, receiving the sedative lorazepam before surgery, compared with placebo or no premedication, did not improve the self-reported patient experience the day after surgery, but was associated with longer time till removal off a breathing tube (extubation) and a lower rate of early cognitive recovery, according to a study in the March 3 issue of JAMA.

4 Mar 2015

Research: Reducing emergency surgery for common procedures could cut health care costs

New research indicates that reducing emergency surgery for three common procedures by 10 percent could cut $1 billion in health care costs over 10 years.

22 Dec 2014

Surgery simulator app: an interview with Jean Nehme

Touch Surgery is a mobile surgical simulation app that allows surgeons to learn and rehearse surgical procedures. It provides a cognitive map for operations on a virtual patient.

23 Nov 2014

Psychological cognitive disorder can lead to development of persistent post-surgical pain

Patients with a psychological cognitive disorder known as catastrophizing are more likely to develop persistent, chronic pain after surgery, according to new research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY™ 2014 annual meeting. Pain catastrophizing occurs when a patient has an irrational and illogical focus on pain, perceiving that it is worse than it actually is.

14 Oct 2014

Genetic testing for breast cancer doubled due to 'Angelina Jolie effect'

In May 2013 Angelina Jolie, who was then Hollywood's highest-paid actress, underwent a double mastectomy after testing positive for a BRCA1 gene mutation that significantly increases the risk of developing breast cancer. A recent study, published by Breast Cancer Research has found that, public knowledge of her decision doubled NHS referrals for genetic testing for breast cancer risk.

19 Sep 2014

Study: History of stroke associated with increased risk of adverse events after elective noncardiac surgery

In an analysis that included more than 480,000 patients who underwent elective noncardiac surgery, a history of stroke was associated with an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and death, particularly if time elapsed between stroke and surgery was less than 9 months, according to a study in the July 16 issue of JAMA.

16 Jul 2014

Viewpoints: Health overhaul doesn't necessarily help the sick; single payer doesn't mean cheaper

Now that it's clear that Obamacare is here to stay, its supporters should focus on making the program better. Fixes are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of responsiveness and of good management. And the Affordable Care Act does have its flaws. Here's a big one: It favors screening over diagnosis.

2 May 2014

New tool can help doctors identify patients at highest risk for respiratory failure after surgery

A new prediction tool can help doctors better identify patients who are at highest risk for respiratory failure after surgery and therefore prevent the often deadly condition, suggest data from a large multi-center study published in the May issue of Anesthesiology.

23 Apr 2014

Highlights: N.Y. veterans' benefits; Ga. rural hospital deal; Ga. anti-Obamacare bill

A selection of health policy stories from New York, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota and Colorado.

21 Mar 2014

Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer announce FDA approval of Eliquis for DVT prophylaxis

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Pfizer Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Eliquis (apixaban) for the prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which may lead to pulmonary embolism (PE), in patients who have undergone hip or knee replacement surgery.

16 Mar 2014

New classification system to manage emergency surgery described in special issue of BJS

Researchers in Finland have implemented a classification system for emergency operations that allows for a fair and efficient way to manage a large volume of such surgery.

16 Dec 2013

Patients treated for traumatic eye socket injuries at academic medical centers fare well at far less cost

Adding to evidence that “high-volume” specialty care in busy teaching hospitals leads to efficiencies unavailable in community hospitals, a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers finds that patients undergoing repair of traumatic eye socket injuries at its busy academic medical center fared just as well at far less cost than those treated at all other Maryland hospitals.

4 Dec 2013

Patients undergoing eye trauma care fare equally well in teaching and community hospitals

Adding to evidence that "high-volume" specialty care in busy teaching hospitals leads to efficiencies unavailable in community hospitals, a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers finds that patients undergoing repair of traumatic eye socket injuries at its busy academic medical center fared just as well at far less cost than those treated at all other Maryland hospitals.

4 Dec 2013

Six-month surgery delay ‘acceptable’ after DES implantation

The recommendation to delay noncardiac surgery for a year after receipt of a drug-eluting stent, compared with just 6 weeks for a bare-metal stent, may be too conservative, suggests research indicating that stent type does not influence the longer term risk for major adverse cardiac events.

14 Oct 2013

Safety measures intended to improve bariatric surgery outcomes may impede obese minorities' access to care

Safety measures intended to improve bariatric surgery outcomes may impede obese minorities' access to care. This is according to a new research letter published online in the September 12 issue of JAMA which compares rates of bariatric (weight-loss) surgery for minority Medicare vs. non-Medicare patients before and after implementation of a Medicare coverage policy.

13 Sep 2013

UTHealth researchers find cause for rare type of bleeding disorder

Fifteen years ago, a hematologist came to Dianna Milewicz, M.D., Ph.D., with a puzzle: Multiple generations of an East Texas family suffered from a moderately severe bleeding disorder, but it wasn't hemophilia.

28 Aug 2013