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.

Pradaxa use does not appear to increase serious bleeding

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the results of a Mini-Sentinel assessment that indicates bleeding rates associated with new use of Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) capsules do not appear to be higher than bleeding rates associated with new use of warfarin, which is consistent with observations from the pivotal RE-LY trial.

4 Nov 2012

Language, ethnicity play a role in postoperative behavioral change among chidlren

A study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2012 annual meeting found children's negative behavioral change after surgery differs among Spanish- and English-speaking White and Hispanic families.

16 Oct 2012

Study identifies pitfalls in current calculation of hospital readmission rates in spine surgery

When hospital patients have to be readmitted soon after discharge, hospitals look bad. And in addition to reflecting poorly on a hospital's quality of care, a high readmission rate also can result in reduced Medicare reimbursements, under provisions now taking effect under the 2010 health care law.

12 Oct 2012

Diclofenac increases risk for anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery

The use of cyclo-oxygenase-2 nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs increases the risk for anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery, research shows.

4 Oct 2012

Alarm raised over preoperative hyponatremia

Preoperative hyponatremia is common and, even when mild, carries a risk for perioperative complications and mortality, shows a large cohort study.

12 Sep 2012

Surgical injury is increasing dialysis use

Acute dialysis use in patients who experience kidney injury while undergoing major elective surgery has increased substantially over the past 14 years, report researchers in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

29 Jun 2012

Surgical injury is increasing dialysis use

28 Jun 2012

Diluent choice affects neuromuscular block times

Anesthesiologists can achieve successful axillary brachial plexus block faster by diluting ropivacaine in dextrose rather than saline, results of a randomized trial show.

30 May 2012

Preoperative opportunity to control blood glucoses

Patients with diabetes mellitus experience significantly higher rates of surgical and systemic complications, higher mortality and increased length of stay during hospitalization following 11 major elective procedures, according to research presented today at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 21st Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress in Philadelphia.

28 May 2012

Data from EarlySense contact-free monitor clinical study presented at ATS conference

EarlySense, a market leader in proactive patient care solutions, announced today the results of a clinical study conducted at a Dignity Health Hospital. The data was presented today in a poster presentation titled: Effect Of Contactless Continuous Patient Monitoring In A Medical-Surgical Unit On Intensive Care Unit Transfers: A Controlled Clinical Trial at the ATS International Conference in San Francisco.

22 May 2012

Study examines role of NLRP3 inflammasome in ventilator-induced lung injury

Mechanical ventilation is often lifesaving, but can also initiate or aggravate lung injury. A new study in the May issue of Anesthesiology examined the role of one particular receptor in the inflammatory pathway, the NLRP3 inflammasome, and whether it impacts ventilator-induced lung injury.

26 Apr 2012

NHS surgery waiting times and time of discharge under scrutiny

The NHS medical director Prof Sir Bruce Keogh, has written to Strategic Health Authorities saying it is unacceptable to send people home when they may have no family support. Figures show that 100 NHS trusts sent 239,233 patients home between 23:00 and 06:00 in 2011. The Times reported that some 3.5% of all hospital discharges took place between those hours and this rate had steadily held for the past five years. The Times had contacted 170 NHS trusts in England but only 100 responded. The rates of those discharged varied widely between different hospitals.

19 Apr 2012

NYU Langone announces opening of Center for Musculoskeletal Care

NYU Langone Medical Center ushered in the next generation of orthopaedic, rheumatologic and rehabilitative care with the opening of the Center for Musculoskeletal Care (CMC) at 333 East 38th Street in Manhattan last week.

11 Apr 2012

Three new targeted drugs can lead to fatal cancer complications

Treatment with three relatively new "targeted" cancer drugs has been linked to a slightly elevated chance of fatal side effects, according to a new analysis led by scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. They added that the risk remains low, but should be taken into account by physicians and patients.

7 Feb 2012

Survey: Percentage of Americans who lack health coverage rose for fourth straight year

The percentage of Americans lacking health insurance coverage rose for the fourth straight year in 2011 to 17.1 percent, a new survey showed Tuesday. The climb has been steady since Gallup began tracking whether adults have health insurance in 2008. Four years ago, only 14.8 percent of adults lacked health insurance.

25 Jan 2012

Tips to optimize your health care budget this year

You can help lower your out-of-pocket health care costs by understanding what your health plan covers, what it does not cover and how to make the most of every dollar spent on health care and health insurance.

13 Jan 2012

Study analyzes how often patients receive preoperative medical consultation

Researchers in Toronto, Canada found that whether a patient received a preoperative medical consultation was not tied to his/her health or the risk of the operation, rather which hospital he/she was having surgery was a large determining factor.

22 Dec 2011

Research assesses safety and efficacy of pre-operative transfusions, hydroxyurea therapy for SCD

Research assessing the safety and efficacy of hydroxyurea therapy in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and the use of pre-operative transfusions for patients with SCD who undergo low- and moderate-risk elective surgery will be presented today at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

12 Dec 2011

No variation in mortality by timing of operation

The timing of surgical procedures—afternoon versus morning or Friday versus Monday—doesn't affect the risk of death after surgery, concludes a study in the December issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

24 Nov 2011

First rapid measurements of dopamine release in human brain

A research team led by investigators at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute has demonstrated the first rapid measurements of dopamine release in a human brain and provided preliminary evidence that the neurotransmitter can be tracked in its movement between brain cells while a subject expresses decision-making behavior.

29 Oct 2011