Surgery News and Research

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Correcting birth defects

Traditionally when a baby was born with a malformation of the lung or esophagus, they had to undergo open surgery involving a large chest incision with risk for serious complications.

18 Jul 2007

Globe-trotting TB patient has lung surgery

The globe-trotting TB patient who apparently flew to Europe against the advice of the Center for Disease and Control (CDC) has had part of his lung removed.

17 Jul 2007

New technique restores the smile to faces of those with facial paralysis

Surgeons in the United States have used a new procedure to partially restore the muscle movement in the faces of patients with severe long-term facial paralysis.

17 Jul 2007

Temporalis tendon transfer reanimates paralyzed faces

A surgical technique known as temporalis tendon transfer, in conjunction with intense physical therapy before and after surgery, may help reanimate the features of those with facial paralysis, according to a report in the July/August issue of Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

17 Jul 2007

Taste loss after tonsillectomy unusual

In a small study of patients undergoing tonsillectomy, or removal of the tonsils, none reported an ongoing dysfunction in their sense of taste following the procedure, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Otolaryngology?Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

17 Jul 2007

Nasal insufflation for sufferers of sleep apnea

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have found that symptoms in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and hypopnea can be significantly reduced through treatment with nasal insufflation (TNI), using a nasal cannula to deliver warm, humidified air at a high flow rate.

17 Jul 2007

How children with brain tumors perform at school

While children who have had brain tumors perform worse in school than healthy kids, grades in foreign language are the most affected and girls have a harder time than boys in getting good grades, according to a study published in the July 17, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Jul 2007

FDA approves gene test to detect spread of breast cancer into lymph nodes

Veridex, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company, has announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the first intra-operative and gene-based test to detect the spread of breast cancer into the lymph nodes.

17 Jul 2007

Diabetics experience more complications during hospitalization for trauma

Individuals with diabetes appear to spend more days in the intensive care unit, use more ventilator support and have more complications during hospitalization for trauma than non-diabetics, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Surgery.

17 Jul 2007

Colitis caused by Clostridium difficile more common now

The rate of cases of colitis (colon inflammation) caused by the bacteria Clostridium difficile more than doubled among patients hospitalized in the United States between 1993 and 2003, and the illness was more severe and associated with an increased mortality rate, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Surgery.

17 Jul 2007

Scientists link brain function to knee injuries

A torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is among an athlete's most-dreaded injuries, often requiring surgery and months of rehab, as has been the case with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.

17 Jul 2007

FDA approves new test which detects breast cancer spread

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. has given approval for a new test to be used which can detect if breast cancer has spread to a patient's lymph nodes.

16 Jul 2007

Women have poorer short-term recovery than men from arthroscopic knee surgery

The factors associated with poor short-term recovery from knee surgery appear to be different than those found to mar long-term outcome from the same surgery, according to new research released at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine at the Telus Convention Center.

16 Jul 2007

Venous thromboembolism in the U.S.

Venous thrombosis (VTE), the formation of blood clots in a vein, is a major health problem for hospitalized patients in the United States.

16 Jul 2007

Paint helps surgeons see where a tumor begins and ends

A tumor paint developed by researchers at Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center will help surgeons see where a tumor begins and ends more precisely by illuminating the cancerous cells.

16 Jul 2007

Throwing motion in young baseball players may actually protect shoulder

Adaptive changes occur in the arm bone and soft tissue of the shoulders of young athletes participating in youth baseball and help protect them against injury, according to new research released at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine at the Telus Convention Center.

16 Jul 2007

Arthroscopic treatment of tennis elbow demonstrates long-term success

Arthroscopic treatment of tennis elbow has shown to be successful at long-term follow-up, according to new research released at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine at the Telus Convention Center.

16 Jul 2007

Sports hernia repair technique coupled with innovative rehabilitation program speeds return to play

Surgical repair of athletic hernia using tension-free mesh and a standardized rehabilitation protocol are successful in returning athletes to competition, according to new research released at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine at the Telus Convention Center.

16 Jul 2007

Sports hernia repair surgery plus innovative rehab program helps athletes return to play

In recent years, sports hernias have sidelined many high-level athletes for months and, occasionally, prevented a return to competitive sports all together.

16 Jul 2007

Nodal status is best predictor of outcome after neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal cancer

The number of lymph nodes that contain evidence of cancer is the best predictor of the effectiveness of adding chemotherapy and radiation to a treatment plan prior to surgery in individuals with oesophageal cancer, according to a study published last month in the Annals of Surgery.

16 Jul 2007