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Repeating balloon angioplasty and/or stenting procedures in elderly patients add more than $700 million a year to Medicare expenses

Repeating balloon angioplasty and/or stenting procedures to open narrowed arteries in elderly patients may add more than $700 million a year to Medicare expenses, according to a report in today’s rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

29 Jun 2004

New heart surgery without opening chest

Thoracic surgeon Daniel Bethencourt, MD, one of the few cardiac surgeons to cure atrial fibrillation (rapid, irregular heartbeat) without opening the patient's chest, will perform endoscopic microwave ablation to treat atrial fibrillation in a 59-year-old man

29 Jun 2004

Patients being sent abroad for operations that could be performed in the UK

Patients are being sent abroad for operations when they could be treated by doctors in the UK, a film screened at the BMA's annual conference has revealed.

29 Jun 2004

Iraqi doctors and senior nurses learn new techniques in head and neck cancer management

Thirty-two Iraqi Surgeons, Medical Oncologists and Senior Nurses travelled to the King Hussein Cancer Center in Amman, Jordan at the beginning of June to participate in a Seminar on Cancer Management.

29 Jun 2004

Alograft ankle transplant - ankle of a cadaver to replace an ankle damaged by arthritis or trauma

Orthopedic surgeon Paul Cooper, MD, says, “In the 12 years I’ve been a foot and ankle surgeon, this is the most exciting thing I’ve been able to offer my patients.”

28 Jun 2004

Partial breast radiation procedure may benefit cancer patients

Some women with breast cancer who prefer breast conserving surgery consisting of lumpectomy and radiation may choose a procedure that delivers radiation to the malignant tumor and not to the entire breast

23 Jun 2004

Safety first for all 40 million patients admitted for surgery in the U.S

Every year, more than 40 million patients are admitted for surgery at U.S. hospitals, while another 31 million undergo outpatient procedures.

22 Jun 2004

More precise and less invasive procedure for prostate cancer detection

Work by a University of Queensland researcher will make the trip to the doctor for a prostate cancer check a lot more appealing for men.

17 Jun 2004

No beneficial medical effects from liposuction

Liposuction is no substitute for dieting when it comes to preventing diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

16 Jun 2004

Pain after surgery worse with age

Pain after surgery to repair hernia was less intense for younger patients undergoing the procedure, according to an article in the June issue of The Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

15 Jun 2004

Second opinion from another obstetrician could reduce the frequency of caesarean births in Latin America

Latin America has the highest rate of caesarian sections-around a quarter of all deliveries-than any other part of the world. Fernando Althabe from the Centro Latinoamericano de Perinatologia, Montevideo, Uruguay, and colleagues assessed whether a compulsory second opinion from another obstetrician could reduce the frequency of caesarean births.

11 Jun 2004

First robotic heart operations in the southern hemisphere

Monash University Department of Surgery staff have made history by performing the first robotic heart operations in the southern hemisphere.

11 Jun 2004

Knee replacement operations have more than doubled in a decade

The findings are based on an analysis of hospital treatment statistics in England between 1991 and 2000. The number of first time hip replacements increased by 18% during this period, while the need to revise the procedure more than doubled.

10 Jun 2004

Surgery in addition to compression treatment could reduce the risk of recurrent leg ulcers

A UK study in this week's issue of THE LANCET highlights how surgery in addition to compression treatment could substantially reduce the risk of recurrent leg ulcers.

5 Jun 2004

Cervical cerclage, stitching to close cervix called into question

A common surgical procedure to prevent the cervix opening during pregnancy-thought to reduce the risk of preterm delivery-is called into question by results of a study in this week's issue of THE LANCET.

5 Jun 2004

Umbilical cord blood and bone marrow transplants slow the progression of many cancers

Umbilical cord blood and bone marrow transplants at Loyola University Health System, Maywood, Ill., are curing or slowing the progression of many cancers originating in the bone marrow (i.e., leukemia, myeloma) or lymphatic system (lymphoma).

3 Jun 2004

ABIOMED has announced the 14th implantation of replacement heart

ABIOMED, Inc. today announced the 14th implantation of the AbioCor® Implantable Replacement Heart. The implant was performed on May 24 in Louisville, KY by a Jewish Hospital/University of Louisville medical team led by surgeons Laman Gray, M.D. and Rob Dowling, M.D. The procedure went well and without complication. The patient is recovering, and is in critical but stable condition.

27 May 2004

Combination radiation treatment for brain cancer leads to better life

People with cancer that has spread to the brain – about 40 percent of all cancer cases – live longer and enjoy a better quality of life if they are treated with a combination of radiation techniques, according to research conducted, in part, at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

21 May 2004

Pulsed-dye laser surgery for voice disorders better all round

The newly developed pulsed-dye laser surgery for voice disorders has been found to be faster, cheaper, better tolerated, and less complicated than standard surgery that requires general anesthesia, more time and a longer recovery, surgeons reported here today at an international conference on problems associated with laryngopharyngeal reflux.

21 May 2004

Higher volume may not guarantee higher quality angioplasty and stenting

"Practice makes perfect" seems logical, but how much practice remains uncertain, and current health care quality guidelines may be set too high. It may be time to reexamine the standard recommending hospitals perform at least 400 angioplasty and stent procedures per year, according to a new study in the May 19, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

19 May 2004