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Surgical care improvement measures associated with lower probability of postoperative infection: JAMA

An analysis of data on adherence to surgical care improvement measures finds that when analyzed as a composite infection-prevention score, the improvement measures were associated with a lower probability of postoperative infection. However, adherence to individual measures - the format of publicly reported performance data - was not associated with a significantly lower risk of infection, according to a study in the June 23/30 issue of JAMA.

25 Jun 2010

Research on safety of endoscopic piecemeal mucosal resection in treatment of large sessile colorectal polyps

Endoscopic resection of large sessile colorectal polyps is increasingly used as an alternative to surgery, but remains challenging because of its technical difficulty, the high risk of complications such as bleeding or perforation, and the possibility of coexisting malignancy.

25 Jun 2010

New technique predicts post-stroke recovery

A team of researchers led by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center has developed a method to predict post-stroke recovery of language by measuring the initial severity of impairment.

25 Jun 2010

Female patients have fewest complications, shortest hospital stays after gastric bypass surgery: Study

A study of nearly 38,000 patients found Caucasian, Hispanic and female patients have the fewest complications and the shortest hospital stays after laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery, according to University of Nebraska Medical Center researchers who presented their findings today at the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery.

25 Jun 2010

Experts to meet in Miami to discuss new ways of avoiding errors in radiation therapy

A meeting in Miami this week will bring together some of the world's leading experts from inside and outside the clinic to discuss safety in radiation therapy -- a critical method for treating cancer.

25 Jun 2010

Medical weight loss programs before bariatric surgery show no clinical benefit

Patients required by their health insurance providers to complete a six-month medical weight loss program before bariatric surgery do no better than patients who have no such requirement, according to a new study presented here at the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

25 Jun 2010

Researchers say ear tubes are safe for children with cochlear implants

Children who are being treated for hearing loss with cochlear implants can safely have ear tubes installed to help clear up infections, say researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

25 Jun 2010

$Repetitive impact on feet can increase risk of stress fractures$

Repetitive impact on feet can increase risk of stress fractures

Stress fractures of the foot are becoming more common in runners, especially first-time marathoners, according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

25 Jun 2010

Cognitive behaviour therapy effective for treating anxiety disorders

Brief therapy at the GP's surgery can effectively treat anxiety and depression. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Medicine found that cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) was effective for treating anxiety disorders, while CBT, problem solving therapy (PST) and counseling were all equally effective in treating depression and mixed anxiety and depression.

25 Jun 2010

Hoag Hospital launches IORT program for breast cancer treatment

Hoag Hospital announced the launch of its Intraoperative Radiation Therapy program as part of its progressive, comprehensive approach to breast cancer treatment. IORT is a radiation therapy technique in which a concentrated dose of radiation is delivered to a cancerous tumor site during surgery after the tumor is removed. Hoag Hospital is the first in Orange County to offer IORT brachytherapy for breast cancer as a component of a definitive treatment approach.

24 Jun 2010

Risk, incidence of VTE differs between races

A new study of 1,960 White-Americans and 368 Black-Americans with objectively diagnosed venous thromboembolism (VTE) showed that, compared to Whites, Blacks had a significantly higher proportion with pulmonary embolism (PE), including idiopathic PE among Black women, and a significantly higher proportion of Blacks with VTE were women (71% vs 61% for Whites) The study is published today in the American Journal of Hematology.

24 Jun 2010

Patients denied insurance for bariatric surgery develop new obesity-related diseases, conditions

Patients who were denied bariatric surgery for insurance reasons developed a slew of new obesity-related diseases and conditions within three years of follow-up, according to a new study presented here at the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

24 Jun 2010

Cancer Research UK launches new cutting-edge research centre at Imperial

A new cutting-edge cancer centre dedicated to robotic surgery, cancer imaging and drug discovery is launched today, putting London at the forefront of cancer research.

24 Jun 2010

Study examines relationship between SCIP measures and postoperative infection

A study by investigators at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine published in this week's issue of JAMA found that public hospital comparison data reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services does not accurately correlate with a patient's risk for surgical postoperative infection.

24 Jun 2010

US District Court grants injunction in favor of Smith & Nephew's Endoscopy Division

A US District Court judge in Texas yesterday ruled that it granted an injunction in favor of Smith & Nephew's Endoscopy Division. As expected the Judge also granted Arthrex's motion to stay the injunction pending an appeal of the judgment.

24 Jun 2010

Tryton announces first three implants of Side Branch Stent System in Israel

Tryton Medical, Inc., the leading developer of stents designed to definitively treat bifurcation lesions, announced that the company's TRYTON Side Branch Stent™ System has been used in three cases in Israel for the first time.

24 Jun 2010

Ways to manage hammertoe pain

The pain from hammertoe, a deformity that can cause one or more toes to assume a claw shape, can curtail an evening of dancing or make a favorite pair of shoes unwearable. But, according to the June issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter, this condition often can be managed by proper footwear or simple toe coverings.

24 Jun 2010

Study proposes new way to measure infection prevention efforts

"Data showing how a hospital performs on certain measures [of post-surgical infection prevention] are publicly available. But, a study published in [the Journal of the American Medical Association] says, the publicly reported measures don't actually correlate with postop infection rates. In other words, picking your hospital on the basis of how often it administers antibiotics within an hour before surgery is not going to help you avoid an infection" (Hobson, 6/22).

24 Jun 2010

Florida obstetricians collaborate to lower premature and Cesarean birth rates

Much has been published of late, in medical journals as well as in the general media, concerning the national rise in both the Cesarean section and premature birth rates. While not directly connected, the two medical concerns have many interrelated variables. Nationally, the Cesarean section rate has risen to 32 percent of all births, while the rate of premature birth has climbed to just over 12 percent.

24 Jun 2010

New Cancer Research UK figures: Deaths from stomach cancer drop

Deaths from stomach cancer are the lowest since UK records began nearly 40 years ago, according to new Cancer Research UK figures released today (Thursday).

24 Jun 2010