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Watchful waiting may be appropriate for some inguinal hernia patients

As long as they remain under the watchful eyes of their primary care physicians, men who have an inguinal hernia (a weakening of the abdominal wall that bulges into the groin area) may postpone surgical repair unless the condition causes symptoms that interfere with their usual activities.

23 Jan 2006

French face transplant patient in fight to stop tissue rejection

At a medical conference in Tucson Arizona, the French surgeons responsible for carrying out the world's first face transplant have admitted they had to fight for several days against the first signs of rejection.

19 Jan 2006

UIC surgeons first to use robot for living-donor kidney-pancreas transplant

Surgeons at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago are the first in the world to use robotic surgery to successfully remove a kidney and pancreas from a living-donor as part of a successful transplantation.

19 Jan 2006

Uptake of obesity surgery devices to rise as obese population increases

Today, obesity is considered a disease of epidemic proportions. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that obesity has risen by nearly 10-40 per cent in most European countries over the past decade.

18 Jan 2006

Face transplant patient out and about without any hassle

Professor Bernard Devauchelle, the surgeon who made history when he carried out a partial face transplant on a French woman, says she is now able to go out in public without attracting stares from the public.

11 Jan 2006

Cosmetic plastic surgery predictions for 2006

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), the leading national organization of board-certified plastic surgeons who specialize in cosmetic surgery, offers its predictions for cosmetic surgery in 2006.

10 Jan 2006

New procedure offers hope to patients at high risk for recurrent stroke

Surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center are the first in the New York City metropolitan area to successfully implant into the brain arteries a new stent specifically designed to treat high-risk stroke patients who have not previously responded to medical therapy.

6 Jan 2006

New radiation therapy for prostate cancer has fewer side effects

A new radiation therapy for prostate cancer -- Cesium-131 brachytherapy -- has fewer side effects than other treatments. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center is the only hospital in the Northeast to offer the new therapy.

5 Jan 2006

Concerns raised about surgeons performing occasional breast cancer operations

A leading cancer expert has expressed concern about the link between hospitals carrying out low numbers of breast cancer operations and disproportionately high readmission rates.

5 Jan 2006

One day radiation may become an option for breast cancer patients

Doctors in Canada are studying the effectiveness of permanent radiation seed implants following lumpectomy as an alternative to whole or partial breast irradiation for early-stage breast cancer patients

4 Jan 2006

Vertebroplasty reduces back pain and increases activity levels

A Mayo Clinic study has found patients report less back pain at rest and while active following vertebroplasty, a procedure in which medical cement is injected into painful compression fractures in the spinal vertebrae due to osteoporosis. Patients also reported improved function in their daily activities, such as walking, housework and getting dressed. The findings are published in the November/December issue of American Journal of Neuroradiology.

30 Dec 2005

Post cardiac surgery heart irregularities reduced by medication

Use of the medication amiodarone is associated with one-half the incidence of atrial tachyarrhythmias (rapid, abnormal heart beat) following cardiac surgery, according to a study in the December 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Dec 2005

Brits all set to do full-face transplant

A British team has been given the green light to perform the world’s first full-face transplant.

21 Dec 2005

Dramatic changes in new CPR guidelines will simplify lifesaving measures

New emergency care guidelines include dramatic changes to CPR and emphasis on chest compressions, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, co-author of the 2005 Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC).

15 Dec 2005

French surgeons ready to perform second face transplant

The French surgical team that carried out the world's first face transplant amid a storm of controversy, has apparently already selected a potential recipient for a second operation.

14 Dec 2005

Wide variation in the use of laparoscopic surgery for gall bladder removal

There is a wide variation in the use of laparoscopic surgery for gall bladder removal in Hong Kong hospitals, and use of this procedure is more likely at certain hospitals and among younger female patients operated on more recently, according to a study in the Archives of Surgery.

7 Dec 2005

Contradiction surrounds face transplant patient

Controversy continues to grow around the world's first face transplant in France.

6 Dec 2005

Face transplant woman doing well

French surgeons say that the 38-year-old recipient of the world's first partial face transplant regained consciousness 24 hours after her operation and is doing well.

5 Dec 2005

Making angioplasty safer

When life-threatening problems occur during angioplasty procedures, doctors may perform emergency coronary artery bypass graft surgery, but data from the Mayo Clinic indicates that need to send patients to emergency surgery has dropped sharply, according to a new study in the Dec. 6, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

2 Dec 2005

French woman has worlds' first face transplant

The operation apparently lasted several hours where tissues, muscles, arteries and veins were taken from a brain-dead donor and attached to the patient's lower face.

30 Nov 2005