Fistula News and Research

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A Fistula is an abnormal opening or passage between two organs or between an organ and the surface of the body. Fistulas may be caused by injury, infection, or inflammation, or may be created during surgery.

Urologist reports success using robot-assisted surgery for rare condition

Robot-assisted surgery can be used to successfully repair abnormal openings between the uterus and the bladder, according to a report by Ashok K. Hemal, M.D., a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center urologist who is the world's most experienced surgeon in the procedure.

23 Jun 2009

Inflammatory bowel disease on the rise in specific populations

Researchers are making great strides in understanding the development and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, a chronic inflammatory condition of the digestive tract that affects more than a half million Americans, according to several studies being presented at Digestive Disease Week® 2009 (DDW®). DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

1 Jun 2009

Aspirin and an anti-clotting drug ‘combo’ reduces risk of dialysis access failure

For the first time, a combination of aspirin and the anti-platelet drug dipyridamole has been shown to significantly reduce blockages and extend the useful life of new artery-vein access grafts used for hemodialysis, according to a study by the Dialysis Access Consortium (DAC).

21 May 2009

Fistula-related morbidity decreased by prompt treatment in Sierra Leone

Extent of fibrosis is the most profound factor in predicting surgical outcomes of genitourinary fistula repair, suggesting that prompt treatment could significantly improve survival.

26 Apr 2009

Large congenital and solitary intrahepatic arterioportal

A case report to be published on April 7, 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology reported incidental findings of a large and solitary congenital APF in a 73-year-old woman.

15 Apr 2009

How to avoid colon problems

Most adults would rather keep talk about colons behind the bathroom door.It's time to talk, says Kim Turgeon, MD, FACP, gastroenterologist in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System.

10 Mar 2009

Trial looks at high intensity focused ultrasound for locally recurrent prostate cancer

A Phase III clinical trial at New York University is investigating the safety and efficacy of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for the treatment of locally recurrent prostate cancer following failed external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) using the Sonablate(R) 500.

22 Dec 2008

Innovative new surgeries extending and improving life for Crohn's disease sufferers

Thousands of Americans suffering from the chronic inflammatory bowel condition known as Crohn's disease are leading longer, healthier lives due to innovative new surgeries, according to experts at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

18 Nov 2008

Urologist is first in the world to use robot-assisted surgery to repair rare defect

A urologist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is the first in the world to repair a rare type of hernia using robot-assisted, minimally invasive surgery. The surgery required only an 18-hour hospital stay; typically, the repair involves major surgery and three to five days of hospital care.

31 Aug 2008

Urologists report success using robot-assisted surgery for urinary abnormality

Ashok Hemal, M.D., a urologic surgeon from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, and colleagues have reported success using robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery to repair abnormal openings between the bladder and vagina known as fistulas. Reporting on their experience with seven patients, Hemal and colleagues have the world's largest known success with the procedure.

18 Aug 2008

Reducing blockage fails to improve access to the bloodstream for kidney dialysis

Reducing early blockages in bloodstream access for kidney failure treatment does not increase the likelihood that the access will function adequately for long-term treatments, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Results were published May 14, 2008, in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

22 May 2008

FDA approves Cimzia as treatment for Crohn's disease

A new drug has been approved to help sufferers of Crohn's disease, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today. Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) received approval for adults with moderate to severe Crohn's disease who have not responded to conventional therapies. This product was approved with a Medication Guide.

22 Apr 2008

Genentech updates on phase III study of Avastin plus chemo in first-line, advanced, non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer

Genentech, Inc. has announced an update for the previously reported Roche-sponsored international Phase III clinical study (AVAiL) of Avastin (bevacizumab) in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy, in patients with advanced, non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

21 Apr 2008

New method of pancreaticojejunostomy with a fast-absorbable suture material

A soft pancreatic texture with a narrow pancreatic ductal size creates a high risk for the development of a pancreatic fistula after pancreaticoduodenectomy, often leading to death.

19 Mar 2008

Unusual case of upper obstructive syndrome

Aorto-duodenal fistulae (ADF) are the most frequent aorto-enteric fistulae (80%) and the most frequent presenting sign of ADF is upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGI).

25 Feb 2008

Asian women at risk for congenital aneurismal fistulas

A seemingly random arterial abnormality that can cause heart attack and sudden death in adults with no previous symptoms may not be so random after all.

8 Feb 2008

FDA approves Tysabri to treat Crohn's disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Tysabri (natalizumab) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease in patients with evidence of inflammation who have had an inadequate response to, or are unable to tolerate, conventional Crohn's disease therapies.

14 Jan 2008

New robotic surgery technique appears promising for the removal of cancer in tonsils

Typically, surgeons trying to remove tonsils of patients with cancer through the mouth have limited access to the area, according to background information in the article. If the cancer has spread to any of the surrounding tissues, an open approach involving cutting through the skin is needed. These procedures take a long time, can cause long-term difficulty swallowing and usually require the placement of a tracheotomy tube.

18 Dec 2007

Avastin (bevacizumab) shows promise in phase II study of glioblastoma multiforme

Genentech, Inc. has announced that both study arms of a randomized, multi-center Phase II clinical study of Avastin (bevacizumab) administered alone or in combination with irinotecan chemotherapy demonstrated encouraging six-month progression-free survival (PFS) and objective response rate in patients with relapsed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive type of brain cancer.

19 Nov 2007

Endosonography-guided biliary drainage is useful in cases with failed endoscopic biliary stenting

The role of endosonography (ES) in digestive diseases is expanding gradually from diagnostic applications to therapeutic ones. The feasibility of ES-guided cholangiopancreatography was first reported by Harada et al. (pancreatography) and Wiersema et al. (cholangiography) in 1995 and 1996, respectively.

5 Nov 2007