Feature Channels: Surgery

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The use of flow-diverting stents to treat intracranial aneurysms appears safe and highly successful. Ischemic complications occur in brain territories supplied by the parent artery in which the stent is placed and in brain regions fed by small arterial branches whose ostia are covered by the stent. Most of these complications are asymptomatic.

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Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey is referring breast cancer patients to a clinical trial examining the side effects of chemotherapy and hormonal therapy on the brain. Referred to as “chemo brain,” these changes can affect a patient’s quality of life.

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A unique collaboration between The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and the European Society of Thoracic Surgery (ESTS) will help improve the quality of patient care by linking outcomes data on chest procedures, beginning with lung cancer surgery

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For women who have undergone mastectomy, breast reconstruction using the patient's own tissues—rather than implants—provides higher satisfaction scores, reports a study in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

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Performed as part of body contouring procedures in patients with massive weight loss, a procedure called medial thigh lift carries a substantial risk of complications, reports a study in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

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Recovery of blinking function is a critical but easily overlooked outcome after facial transplantation, according to a report in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

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Researchers conducted a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial to compare a laparoscopic procedure with a mini-laparotomy for insertion of a peritoneal catheter during ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery. Although overall shunt failure rates did not differ substantially between patients in the two surgery groups, the authors identified a significant reduction in the rate of distal (abdominal) shunt failure in patients in whom laparoscopy was used. Using Laparoscopy For Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Placement

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A Henry Ford Hospital study, presented recently at the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons meeting in Dallas, found that injecting a newer long-acting numbing medicine called liposomal bupivacaine into the tissue surrounding the knee during surgery may provide a faster recovery and higher patient satisfaction.

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A recent report provided anesthesiologists with reassuring data on the safety of caudal nerve block—sometimes called the "kiddie caudal"—for infants and young children undergoing surgery. But an editorial in the January issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia draws attention to some important limitations of the study and to the need for further research on the safety and efficacy of this widely used pediatric anesthesia technique.

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Kidney donors with hypertension had slightly fewer nephrons (the kidney’s filtering units) at the time of donation than similarly aged donors with normal blood pressure; however, 6 months following their surgery, hypertensive and non-hypertensive donors both maintained excellent blood pressure control and had similarly robust compensatory kidney responses.

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Two studies published in the January issue of Anesthesiology, the official medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists® (ASA®), shed new light on the prevalence of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) and transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO), the number one and two leading causes of blood transfusion-related deaths in the United States.

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Researchers found that partial nephrectomy -- the recommended treatment for localized kidney tumors -- was performed more frequently at hospitals that were early adopters of robotic surgery.

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Researchers have devised a way to replace the knee’s protective lining, called the meniscus, using a personalized 3D-printed implant, or scaffold, infused with human growth factors that prompt the body to regenerate the lining on its own. The therapy, successfully tested in sheep, could provide the first effective and long-lasting repair of damaged menisci, which occur in millions of Americans each year and can lead to debilitating arthritis. The paper was published today in the online edition of Science Translational Medicine.

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It's a simple premise -- now backed up by more evidence than ever: "Why give more blood to anyone if you can’t show it benefits them?" Jeffrey Carson of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has found that for many patients, smaller blood transfusions after surgery are at least as beneficial as larger ones, both in the short term and the long term. His study is published in The Lancet.

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Two studies to be presented at the American Epilepsy Society's (AES) 68th Annual Meeting explore the outcomes of brain surgery for children with severe epilepsy.

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Researchers discover that moderate exercise following bariatric surgery reduces specific metabolic risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes. The findings suggest that moderate exercise may provide additional benefits to health beyond weight loss in these patients.

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In a remarkable collaborative effort between human and veterinary clinicians, a 29-year-old bottlenose dolphin recently underwent therapeutic bronchoscopy to treat airway narrowing, or stenosis, that was interfering with her breathing. The dolphin, a therapy animal for mentally and physically challenged children at Island Dolphin Care in Key Largo, Florida, is doing well one year after the procedure.

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A study published in Critical Care Nurse finds that implementing a readiness bundle of preoperative interventions was associated with reduced risk of mortality and morbidity, shorter intubation times and shorter hospital stays for urgent patients after CABG surgery.

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A new guideline is available to help health care providers prevent and treat one of the most common postoperative complications in older patients, delirium, which is an episode of sudden confusion.

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In comparison with open surgery, while minimally invasive surgery for cervical or lumbar discectomy may speed up recovery and reduce post-operative pain, it does not improve long-term function or reduce long-term extremity pain.

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Differences in breast size have a significant mental health impact in adolescent girls, affecting self-esteem, emotional well-being, and social functioning, reports the December issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

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For women considering breast reduction surgery, initial evaluation at a shared medical appointment (SMA) provides excellent patient satisfaction in a more efficient clinic visit, reports a study in the December issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

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Mrs. Linss’ medical problem was diagnosed as primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), a disease in which the bile ducts are damaged, causing bile to build up in the liver.

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Far more breast cancer patients are choosing to undergo mastectomy, including removal of both breasts, instead of choosing breast conservation surgery even when they have early stage disease that is confined to one breast, a Vanderbilt study shows. In the past decade, there have also been marked trends toward higher proportions of women opting for breast reconstruction.

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New evidence that suggests patients with a history of adverse reaction to the blood thinner heparin may be ready for urgent heart surgery sooner with a combination of appropriate blood screenings and therapeutic plasma exchange.

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The addition of mitral valve (MV) repair (a valve of the heart) to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), a type of open-heart surgery, did not result in significant benefit to the patient and was associated with increased risk of neurological events. Therefore, the routine addition of MV repair to CABG in patients with moderate IMR did not demonstrate a clinically meaningful advantage.

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In October, ProMedica Toledo Hospital performed the nation’s first patient implant in the Medtronic, Inc. PERIGON (PERIcardial SurGical AOrtic Valve ReplacemeNt) Pivotal Trial. This global, prospective clinical trial evaluates an investigational surgical aortic heart valve made from bovine pericardial (cow heart) tissue that is intended to replace a diseased, damaged or malfunctioning native or prosthetic aortic valve.

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A study by Hospital for Special Surgery researchers finds that total hip replacement is an excellent option for patients under age 35 when conservative treatments fail to provide relief.

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In patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, neither aspirin nor clonidine (a medication primarily used to treat high blood pressure) taken before and after surgery reduced the risk of acute kidney injury, according to a study appearing in JAMA. The study is being released to coincide with its presentation at the American Society of Nephrology’s annual Kidney Week meeting.

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The activity of ion channel proteins that are important for cell-to-cell communication is markedly reduced during anesthesia, according to researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College.

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The loss of eyesight, often caused by retinal degeneration, is a life-altering health issue for many people, especially as they age. But a new development toward a prosthetic retina could help counter conditions that result from problems with this crucial part of the eye.

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Laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery in patients with type 2 diabetes, once considered a high-risk procedure, carries a complication and mortality rate comparable to some of the safest and most commonly performed surgeries in America, including gallbladder surgery, appendectomy, and total knee replacement, according to new research from the Cleveland Clinic Bariatric and Metabolic Institute.

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The less severe type 2 diabetes is before sleeve gastrectomy, the greater the likelihood patients will be disease free afterwards, according to new research presented here during ObesityWeek 2014, the largest international event focused on the basic science, clinical application and prevention and treatment of obesity.

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November 5, 2014 – In the next 15 years, more than one in 10 colon cancers and nearly one in four rectal cancers will be diagnosed in patients younger than the traditional screening age, according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

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Children who had their tonsils and adenoids removed for obstructive sleep apnea also had dramatic reductions in acute asthma exacerbations, acute status asthmaticus, asthma-related hospitalizations and ER visits in the first large study of the connections between OSA surgery and asthma.

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A new statistical test that looks at the patterns of high-frequency network activity flow from brain signals can help doctors pinpoint the exact location of seizures occurring in the brain and make surgery more effective, according to researchers at Georgia State University and Emory University School of Medicine. The findings are published in the journal Epilepsia.

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Senior citizens are at no higher risk for complications from cosmetic surgery than younger patients, according to a recent study by plastic surgeons at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

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People with obesity may have an unexpected ally after weight-loss surgery: their tongues. New research from the Stanford University School of Medicine finds patients who reported a decrease in taste intensity after bariatric surgery had significantly higher excess weight loss after three months than those whose taste intensity became higher.

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Patients with obesity take significantly fewer medications after weight-loss surgery than their non-surgical counterparts, and end up spending 22.4 percent less on drugs for diabetes and heart disease after four years, according to new research.

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A new study shows cellular-level changes in nerve structure and function that may contribute to the development of migraine headaches, reports the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

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After opening a comprehensive breast center (CBC), one hospital achieved significant improvement in key measures of quality of care for women undergoing breast reconstruction, reports the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

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A study of pediatric patients with hepatoblastoma led by researchers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) suggests an opportunity to reduce chemotherapy in up to 65 percent of patients, which could lead to a decrease in the incidence of adverse effects.

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Surgeons are tweaking existing computer technologies to enhance their visualization of cancerous tumors and persistent wounds according to two studies presented this week at the 2014 American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress.

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AVR can safely be used to treat severe aortic stenosis in patients age 90 years and older and is associated with a low risk of operative stroke and mortality

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STS has released new clinical practice guidelines for treating cancer of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction. The guidelines include nine evidence-based recommendations that address issues related to multimodality care, including neoadjuvant therapy

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Young motorcycle riders are significantly less likely to sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) if they live in a state with universal motorcycle helmet laws instead of a state with age-restricted ones, according to new findings presented today at the 2014 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

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For many adults, the word scoliosis conjures up childhood memories of lining up in gym class for an examination by the school nurse. But scoliosis isn't just a pediatric condition. Curvature of the spine can develop in adults too, and the osteoporosis that can accompany menopause is a risk factor. Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon Paul Huddleston, M.D., explains how scoliosis develops, prevention and treatment options and a trend he is seeing in Baby Boomer women.

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Johns Hopkins surgeons urge salvage of syringes, sutures, gauze, towels to improve care in developing countries.

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For patients with a severe type of stroke called subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), treatment at a hospital that treats a high volume of SAH cases is associated with a lower risk of death, reports a study in the November issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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Bariatric surgery may be a risk factor for a condition that causes severe headaches, according to a study published in the October 22, 2014, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.