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Medicare to cover OVA1 test

Vermillion, Inc. today announced that Medicare will cover OVA1™, a test to help assess the likelihood that an ovarian mass is benign or malignant. Highmark Medicare Services is the CMS contractor that will process Medicare claims for OVA1. Yesterday Highmark announced its decision to cover this new service.

12 Mar 2010

Royal Philips Electronics, ACC to present Hybrid OR Suite designed for cardiac procedures at ACC 2010

Royal Philips Electronics, in partnership with the American College of Cardiology, spotlight the growing need for minimally-invasive interventions to address a spectrum of cardiac conditions, such as structural and degenerative heart issues. The need to reduce invasive surgical interventions and complication rates is driving innovations in minimally invasive approaches.

From Philips Healthcare 12 Mar 2010

St. Jude Medical to exhibit cardiac clinical solution products portfolio at ACC 2010

St. Jude Medical, Inc. today announced it will display products and technologies from the company’s wide array of clinical solutions in the cardiology, cardiac surgery, atrial fibrillation and cardiac rhythm management markets at ACC 2010.

12 Mar 2010

$Bisphosphonate treatments may affect bone quality and increase risk of atypical fractures of femur$

Bisphosphonate treatments may affect bone quality and increase risk of atypical fractures of femur

Bisphosphonate treatments, proven to enhance bone density and reduce fracture incidence in post-menopausal women, may adversely affect bone quality and increase risk of atypical fractures of the femur when used for four or more years, according to preliminary research presented today at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

12 Mar 2010

GTC Biotherapeutics reports total net loss of $1.7M for fourth-quarter 2009

GTC Biotherapeutics, Inc. today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended January 3, 2010. The total net loss for the fourth quarter was $1.7 million, or $0.09 per share, compared with $6.2 million, or $0.60 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2008. The total net loss for 2009 was $27.9 million, or $2.18 per share, compared to $22.7 million, or $2.31 per share, for 2008.

12 Mar 2010

Cytori Therapeutics reports total revenues of $14.7M for 2009

Cytori Therapeutics is reporting its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2009.

From Evident Corporation - Life Sciences 12 Mar 2010

Vertos Medical announces positive results from IRB I Patient Outcomes Trial of 'mild' for LSS

Medical device company Vertos Medical Inc. has announced the release of positive results from its U.S. IRB I Patient Outcomes Trial, a prospective, investigational review board-approved, 75-patient study of mild for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Six-week clinical data have shown that patients treated with mild experience statistically and clinically significant improvement in both pain and functional ability. The data also confirmed mild’s safety, with no reports of patient complications related to the procedure or the devices.

12 Mar 2010

U.S. commercial launch of Integra Spine's Paramount PS Fixation System announced

Integra LifeSciences announced today the U.S. commercial launch of Integra Spine's Paramount® Pedicle Screw (PS) Fixation System for minimally invasive spine surgery. Previously, the Paramount® PS system was available to a select group of Paramount® PS users. With the completion of a national training effort, the Paramount® PS system is now available nationwide through Integra Spine's independent distribution network.

12 Mar 2010

Leaders of LUH urge Congress not to overlook healthcare issues of Latinos in final healthcare reform legislation

Leaders of Latinos United for Healthcare, including Hispanic Federation, LULAC, NPRC, USHCC, National Hispanic Medical Association and Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, have sent a letter to Capitol Hill calling upon Congress to focus their attention and efforts on ensuring that the healthcare issues of Latinos are not overlooked in the final healthcare reform legislation.

12 Mar 2010

Development of promising new cancer therapies: OICR announces $1M investment

Dr. Tom Hudson, President and Scientific Director of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) today announced an investment of $1 million towards the development of two new promising cancer therapies.

12 Mar 2010

New micromanipulator for precise operations involving cochlear and middle ear implants

A team of engineers from the CEIT-IK4 technological centre and doctors from the University Hospital of Navarra have designed a new tool for operating on the inner ear with maximum precision, reducing the possibility of damage to the auditory function during the surgery. This is the first micromanipulator specifically for operations involving cochlear and middle ear implants, of which about a hundred are carried out in this hospital annually. Taking part in developing the new tool were four engineers from CEIT and five ear, nose and throat specialists from the University Hospital of Navarra.

12 Mar 2010

TKR relieves pain and improves balance in elderly patients with advanced knee arthritis

Total knee replacement successfully relieves pain and improves function in patients with advanced knee arthritis, according to a study presented today at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The surgery also significantly improves dynamic balance among elderly patients.

12 Mar 2010

Boston Scientific's Express LD Iliac Premounted Stent System for use in iliac arteries receives FDA approval

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its Express® LD Iliac Premounted Stent System for use in iliac arteries. The Express LD Iliac Stent is the first and only low-profile, premounted, balloon-expandable stent approved by the FDA for use in treating iliac artery disease. The Company said it plans to launch the product immediately in the United States.

12 Mar 2010

In addition to anal and cervical cancer, HPV can also cause head and neck cancer

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the causative agent responsible for most cases of cervical cancer, but is also associated with several other types of cancer.

12 Mar 2010

Study questions frequency of heart angiograms

A recent study raises questions about the frequency of doctors' use of elective heart angiograms, which showed no disease in almost 40 percent of patients. BusinessWeek reports: "Doctors may be sending patients too quickly for elective angiograms to detect heart disease, exposing them to radiation and driving up U.S. health-care costs, a study suggests.

12 Mar 2010

Survey: Employers plan to shift more health costs to workers

The Washington Post: "Most big employers plan to shift a larger share of health-care costs to their workers next year, according to a survey to be released Thursday. ... Meanwhile, employees at many companies can expect significantly higher premiums, deductibles and co-payments, according to the annual survey by the National Business Group on Health, a coalition of big employers, and Towers Watson, a consulting firm that advises companies on employee benefits."

12 Mar 2010

New insurance plan to link a patient's cost to effectiveness of treatments

Kaiser Health News staff writer Julie Appleby, working in collaboration with USA Today, writes about potentially controversial policies that are a trend toward value-based design.

11 Mar 2010

First Edition: March 11, 2010

Today's headlines offer details of President Obama's continued full-court press on health reform with an appearance in Missouri. Meanwhile, work to move the bill toward a vote continues on Capitol Hill.

11 Mar 2010

Miami Children’s Hospital installs Toshiba InfinixTM CF-i bi-plane system with CAT-880B hybrid catheterization table

In hybrid catheterization procedures it is crucial that the imaging system provides the flexibility to quickly and easily access both the patient and ancillary equipment. To form its new hybrid catheterization suite, Miami Children’s Hospital, a pioneer in hybrid procedures, recently installed Toshiba America Medical Systems’s InfinixTM CF-i bi-plane system with the new CAT-880B hybrid catheterization table.

11 Mar 2010

MedQuist to provide DMC healthcare system with transcription outsourcing services

MedQuist Inc., a leading provider of technology-enabled clinical documentation services, today announced that it has been awarded a contract by Detroit Medical Center (DMC), a nationally respected healthcare system, to provide transcription outsourcing services. This award expands MedQuist's existing relationship to include services for Emergency Medicine documentation for six of DMC's major organizations: Children's Hospital, Detroit Receiving Hospital, Harper University Hospital, Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, DMC Surgery, and Sinai-Grace Hospital.

11 Mar 2010

Surgery News and Research

Medicare to cover OVA1 test

Royal Philips Electronics, ACC to present Hybrid OR Suite designed for cardiac procedures at ACC 2010

St. Jude Medical to exhibit cardiac clinical solution products portfolio at ACC 2010

Bisphosphonate treatments may affect bone quality and increase risk of atypical fractures of femur

GTC Biotherapeutics reports total net loss of $1.7M for fourth-quarter 2009

Cytori Therapeutics reports total revenues of $14.7M for 2009

Vertos Medical announces positive results from IRB I Patient Outcomes Trial of 'mild' for LSS

U.S. commercial launch of Integra Spine's Paramount PS Fixation System announced

Leaders of LUH urge Congress not to overlook healthcare issues of Latinos in final healthcare reform legislation

Development of promising new cancer therapies: OICR announces $1M investment

New micromanipulator for precise operations involving cochlear and middle ear implants

TKR relieves pain and improves balance in elderly patients with advanced knee arthritis

Boston Scientific's Express LD Iliac Premounted Stent System for use in iliac arteries receives FDA approval

In addition to anal and cervical cancer, HPV can also cause head and neck cancer

Study questions frequency of heart angiograms

Survey: Employers plan to shift more health costs to workers

New insurance plan to link a patient's cost to effectiveness of treatments

First Edition: March 11, 2010

Miami Children’s Hospital installs Toshiba InfinixTM CF-i bi-plane system with CAT-880B hybrid catheterization table

MedQuist to provide DMC healthcare system with transcription outsourcing services

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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