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Concentrated radio waves proide new approach to treating precancerous esophagus condition

The use of concentrated radio waves appears to be a safe and effective way to "burn" away abnormal cell growth in the esophagus that can be a precursor of cancer.

24 May 2007

Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy with robot technology can improve survival rate for prostate cancer patients

Performing less invasive laparoscopic surgery using robotic technology may improve survival rates for prostate cancer patients, according to a study by urologic oncologists at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital's multidisciplinary Genitourinary (GU) cancer center.

22 May 2007

First beating heart transplant procedure in the US

Protected by its own nutrients and blood supply, a beating heart supported by an investigational organ preservation device was successfully transplanted into a 47-year-old man with congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension on Sunday, April 8.

18 May 2007

Dramatic increase in Caesarean sections

The report, published in the prestigious international journal, the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, found that the rise could not be explained by increases in clinical reasons for caesareans such as complications in pregnancy or labour/delivery and was more likely due to societal factors.

17 May 2007

New gallbladder removal procedure

In a first-of-its-kind procedure, a surgeon at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia successfully removed a woman's gallbladder through a single incision in the patient's belly button.

17 May 2007

New guidelines for blood conservation during cardiac procedures

A team of medical experts led by a Virginia Commonwealth University anesthesiologist and a thoracic surgeon from the University of Kentucky has established a set of clinical guidelines to help physicians decrease the need for blood transfusions in high-risk patients during cardiac operations.

17 May 2007

Surgeons rebuild war veteran's nose using his own body parts

It took only seconds for the Humvee to flip over and crash on a highway near Camp Bucca in southern Iraq in August 2005.

17 May 2007

Mount Sinai uses breakthrough treatment for spinal cancer

The Mount Sinai Medical Center is the only hospital in New York City using the Novalis Shaped Beam Surgery System on spinal cancer.

16 May 2007

Role of PCI and coronary artery bypass grafting for the treatment of patients with left main coronary artery disease

Coronary artery bypass surgery has been the preferred treatment for patients with a blockage in the left main coronary artery, the conduit that supplies blood to about two-thirds of the heart.

15 May 2007

Is the 90-minute deadline for inflation of angioplasty balloons really critical?

In the treatment of heart attack, the 90-minute goal for inflation of an angioplasty balloon in a blocked coronary artery to restore normal blood flow is so revered it's been codified in clinical guidelines, accreditation standards, and pay-for-performance programs.

15 May 2007

Catheter-based aortic valve replacement is set to take off

Twenty years ago, few interventional cardiologists could have imagined that during their professional careers it would be possible to replace a diseased aortic valve using catheter-based techniques, rather than open-chest surgery.

11 May 2007

Simple procedural change may reduce cardiac arrests outside pediatric ICUs

A simple procedural change may significantly reduce cardiopulmonary arrests outside a pediatric hospital's intensive care unit, according to a study reported at the American Heart Association's 8th Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke.

11 May 2007

Pros and cons of tonsillectomy

Adults with recurrent sore throats may benefit from having a tonsillectomy in the short term, but the overall longer term benefit is still unclear, and any benefits have to be balanced against the side effects of the operation, according to this week's BMJ.

4 May 2007

Chiropractic spinal manipulation beneficial for neck pain

A new literature review finds evidence that patients with chronic neck pain enrolled in clinical trials reported significant improvement following chiropractic spinal manipulation, according to a March/April 2007 report in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT).

4 May 2007

Gene therapy used to try and cure type of blindness

A team of doctors from Moorfields Eye Hospital and University College London (UCL) have carried out world's first eye operations using gene therapy to try to cure a serious eye disorder.

2 May 2007

A need to assess risks involved with spinal manipulation in children

Researchers are calling for the creation of a collaborative registry to assess the risk of serious injuries when treating children using spinal manipulation.

27 Apr 2007

World's first no-scar surgery

On April 2, 2007, at the University Hospital of Strasbourg in France, Professor Jacques Marescaux and his team successfully performed the world's first no-scar surgery.

27 Apr 2007

Renal transplantation in 1-5 year olds

Garcia, et al reported their experience with renal transplantation in 38 children (40 transplant), ages 1-5 years over a 16 year period.

26 Apr 2007

Review of pediatric shockwave lithotripsy

A recent review of the literature shows that shockwave lithotripsy is an efficacious modality for pediatric urolithiasis when intervention is required.

24 Apr 2007

Wait times for cataract surgery and quality of life

When does the wait time for cataract surgery cross over from being inconvenient to affecting health and quality of life, Dr. William Hodge and colleagues report on their systematic review of studies that assessed the relation between wait times for cataract surgery and patient outcomes.

24 Apr 2007