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Safer bone marrow transplants

If a team of American scientists are right, bone marrow transplants may become safer and more available to people in need of donations. In a new research paper appearing in the February 2010 print edition of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology (http://www.jleukbio.org), they explain how an anti-inflammatory agent called "ATL146e" may significantly improve the likelihood of success for bone marrow transplants by preventing or halting the progression of graft-versus-host disease, a complication of bone marrow transplants in which the donor marrow attacks the host. Although very rare, graft-versus-host disease can also occur after blood transfusions.

2 Feb 2010

Minimally invasive living donor liver retrieval for pediatric transplant

NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital is the only medical center in the United States to offer minimally invasive liver donation for pediatric transplantation. Surgeons use a laparoscopic technique to remove a section of liver from a living donor for implantation in a pediatric patient -- typically a parent donating to their child. The innovative approach promises dramatically improved recovery for the donor.

2 Feb 2010

Study compares common treatment options for infants born with clubfoot

Clubfoot affects one in a thousand babies born in the United States, but with proper corrective treatment and follow-up, infants born with clubfoot can have feet compatible with an active, normal lifestyle. A new study in the February 2010 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) compared two common treatment options for clubfoot - Ponseti method and surgical treatment.

2 Feb 2010

Halt Medical commences enrollment in uterine fibroid study

The Wall Street Journal, CBS, and other popular news outlets have recently featured headline stories about a clinical study that is recruiting patients suffering with uterine fibroids. "We're not at all surprised by the attention this study is getting from the media," said Russ DeLonzor, President and Chief Operating Officer of Halt Medical, Inc., a medical technology company headquartered near San Francisco.

2 Feb 2010

Majority of surgeons experience occupational injuries from minimally invasive techniques

Surgeons who engage in minimally invasive, laparoscopic surgery are providing great benefits to their patients, but possibly to their own detriment. That's the finding of the largest survey ever conducted of surgeons in North America who perform laparoscopic procedures.

2 Feb 2010

Cardiac catheterization: A groundbreaking tool in the field of cardiology

Cardiac catheterizations have been a groundbreaking tool in the field of cardiology. This procedure offers a minimally invasive means for obtaining important information about the heart and its blood vessels, while also providing a less invasive treatment for certain heart conditions.

2 Feb 2010

Study evaluates hepatocyte transplantation as an alternative to liver transplantation

A research team from the National Taiwan University Hospital has evaluated the efficiency of transplanted hepatocyte (liver) cells in animal models severely damaged by two kinds of chemical toxicity to see whether and how transplanted hepatocytes were able to efficiently repopulate the toxin-induced, severely damaged livers.

2 Feb 2010

Loyola surgeon performs complicated laparoscopic procedure

Mild cases of diverticulitis can be treated with changes in diet, rest and antibiotics. However, Bunch's condition was more serious and the chances of recurrences were high. Her doctors at Loyola University Health System said her best option would be surgery to remove the inflamed section of colon.

2 Feb 2010

GMC designated as NMDP collection site to collect bone marrow from willing donors

Geisinger Medical Center (GMC) was recently designated a National Marrow Donation Program (NMDP) collection site, becoming the only site in the region to collect bone marrow or blood stem cells from willing donors.

2 Feb 2010

Finger and thumb injuries account for majority of pediatric traumatic amputations

According to a new study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, there were more than 950 cases of traumatic amputations among children aged 17 years and younger in the United States in 2003. Of these cases, finger and thumb amputations accounted for the majority of the injuries (64 percent).

2 Feb 2010

Adventist Medical Center augments surgical practice with newest model of the da Vinci surgical robot

Adventist Medical Center is now home to the newest model of the da Vinci surgical robot. The da Vinci robot enables complex surgeries to be completed using a minimally invasive approach. The approach minimizes the physical and emotional impact of surgery on patients resulting in increased quality outcomes. The Portland, Ore., based hospital is one of few hospitals in the Northwest to use the latest model of the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System.

2 Feb 2010

UK plastic surgery industry experiences significant growth

The US may have experienced a 12% decrease in the number of surgical and non-surgical cosmetic treatments, but the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons have a different story to tell. They found the UK experienced a 5% increase in demand from 2007 to 2008, and a 9% increase from 2008 to 2009.

31 Jan 2010

Award for best organ donation feature film: Transplant community to vote

In a lead-up to the second Donate Life Film Festival June 11-12, the nation's organ donation and transplant community will vote for the best organ donation feature film of all time. The four nominated films are Seven Pounds, Return to Me, John Q and Blood Work.

30 Jan 2010

FMCNA ships dialysis machines and supplies for Haiti relief efforts

Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), the world's largest integrated provider of products and services for individuals undergoing dialysis because of chronic kidney failure, is donating and delivering dialysis supplies to Haitians, at a time when relief supplies continue to be slow to reach those in need following a devastating earthquake and aftershock.

30 Jan 2010

AAPM reassures safety of radiation therapy

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) has issued a statement today in the wake of several recent articles in the New York Times yesterday and earlier in the week that discuss a number of rare but tragic events in the last decade involving people undergoing radiation therapy.

30 Jan 2010

Muscle-sparing treatments could improve patient outcomes and reduce costs

A University of Kentucky researcher is investigating respiratory weakness as a factor in the morbidity of intensive-care patients and will soon be testing new treatments that could improve long-term patient outcomes while reducing costs of care.

30 Jan 2010

Obesity related health complications more dangerous than risks associated with bariatric surgery

Bariatric weight-loss surgery may sound dangerous and complicated, but a Geisinger physician warns that the real danger may be a life of obesity.

30 Jan 2010

Study shows majority of patients gain weight after knee replacement surgery

You'd think folks who've had knee replacement surgery -- finally able to walk and exercise without pain -- would lose weight instead of put on pounds, but surprisingly that's not the case, according to a University of Delaware study.

30 Jan 2010

Surgeons have a lower preference for back surgery than family doctors

Surgeons are less likely than family physicians or patients to view surgery as the preferred treatment option for low back pain, according to a study in the January 1 issue of Spine.

29 Jan 2010

Obama unintentionally reinforces misconception about root canal procedures

In his first State of the Union address, President Obama outlined many challenges facing our nation, but fear of root canals should not be one of them. Obama unintentionally reinforced a myth and outdated misconception about the "unpopular" nature of root canal procedures. The AAE, which represents root canal specialists, knows that root canal procedures should not be feared, and hopes the President and all Americans become better informed for the sake of their dental and total body health.

29 Jan 2010