Results of a preliminary study by scientists at the National Institutes of Health and Johns Hopkins show that “mini” stem cell transplantation may safely reverse severe sickle cell disease in adults.
In men undergoing prostate surgery, excessive fluid absorption can lead to dangerously low sodium levels. Adding a small amount of glucose to the irrigation fluid used during surgery can help anesthesiologists to prevent this rare but potentially serious complication, reports a study in the December issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).
Defibrotide, a novel drug which modulates the response of blood vessels to injury, was markedly more effective than standard treatment in post-stem cell transplant patients with hepatic veno-occlusive disease, a life threatening toxicity of transplant caused by blockages in tiny blood vessels of the liver, according to a study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists.
A minimally invasive, catheter-based cardiac assist device - the Impella 2.5 - is credited with saving the life of 86-year-old Rose Lombardo of Hazleton. Grandmother to seven and great-grandmother to another 12, Rose was "at death's door" after suffering concurrent heart attacks, according to her daughter, Gabriella Norgard.
Minimally invasive techniques have become standard for many procedures, from the removal of the gallbladder to angioplasty, but the approach is now only beginning to be available to patients with spinal conditions. The surgical team at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center's Spine Center aims to bring the benefits of minimally invasive surgery for patients with intractable back pain, stenosis, spinal deformity, even spinal cancer.
One of the first total abdominal colectomies performed, including reconstruction of the intestinal tract by reconnection of the remaining small intestine to the rectum, via single-incision laparoscopy.
Physicians at UT Southwestern Medical Center soon will begin implanting a new device designed to improve breathing in patients with upper spinal-cord injuries or other diseases that keep them from breathing independently.
Tulane University School of Medicine surgeon Dr. Emad Kandil is one of the first in the country to perform a new form of endoscopic surgery that uses a small incision under the arm to remove all or a portion of the thyroid or parathyroid glands without leaving a scar on the neck.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Stover is seeing more hip and pelvic fractures in older patients injured in activities such as bicycling. "Our aging population is more active than it was before," Stover said.
A team of researchers at the University of California, San Diego and Stanford University has developed a way to simulate blood flow on the computer to optimize surgical designs. It is the basis of a new tool that may help surgeons plan for a life-saving operation called the "Fontan" surgery, which is performed on babies born with severe congenital heart defects.
A first-of-its-kind consensus statement on diabetes surgery is published online today in the Annals of Surgery. The report illustrates the findings of the first international consensus conference -- Diabetes Surgery Summit (DSS) -- where an international group of more than 50 scientific and medical experts agreed on a set of evidence-based guidelines and definitions that are meant to guide the use and study of gastrointestinal surgery to treat type 2 diabetes.
Relief from decades of low back pain gives Carole Riggs even more to celebrate during the holidays – Riggs, a retired teacher and school principal, points to her work during one Christmas vacation – bending, twisting and sitting on the floor to create games and teaching aids – as the primary culprit behind many years of back pain.
For years, it has been widely assumed that older adults may experience memory loss and other cognitive problems following surgery. But a new study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis questions those assumptions. In fact, the researchers were not able to detect any long-term cognitive declines attributable to surgery in a group of 575 patients they studied.
Be prepared, that old Boy Scout motto, is being applied with great success to operating room patients whose anatomy may make it difficult for physicians to help them breathe during surgery, Johns Hopkins researchers report in a new study.
Alexander P. Moya, M.D., director, Center for Weight Loss Body Contouring at Geisinger Medical Center (GMC), performed his newly developed corset trunkplasty surgery for board-certified plastic surgeons at the University of Miami School of Medicine live via televised feed as he worked at an operating room at GMC in Danville on Nov 13.
A landmark, 25-year review of cases in which surgeons had to remove the lower portion of the body from the waist down for severe pelvic bone infections shows the therapy can add years and quality of life to survivors, say researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Patients who received telephone-delivered collaborative care for treatment of depression after coronary artery bypass graft surgery reported greater improvement in measures of quality of life, physical functioning and mood than patients who received usual care, according to a study in the November 18 issue of JAMA. The study is being released early online because of its presentation at an American Heart Association scientific conference.
Earlier this year, former First Lady Barbara Bush and comedian Robin Williams underwent aortic valve replacement surgery, but many patients may be missing out on the life-saving surgery, according to a study by the University of Michigan.
A team of investigators using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) suggest that one way to improve surgical results in the elderly is to have hospitals expand their quality control guidelines to include more types of surgery-related complications.
As the number of women having twins has increased, so has the odds of developing a serious pregnancy complication called twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). This disorder affects as many as 15 percent of identical twin pregnancies, and results in uneven blood flow between the fetuses. Until recently the outcome was usually death or disabilities for the surviving babies.
Use of the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins for more than a year is associated with a reduced risk of having gallstones requiring surgery, according to a study in the November 11 issue of JAMA.
To find a long-term, permanent solution for GERD, the Center for the Future of Surgery at UC San Diego Medical Center is leading a multicenter clinical trial to test the safety and effectiveness of a new incisionless treatment.
With the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout Challenge just a week away, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is giving smokers yet another reason to quit. The scientific evidence is clear -- smoking has a direct negative impact on postoperative outcomes. Quitting smoking is one of the best things people can do to improve their chances of recovering from surgery without complications.
NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital is celebrating the 25th anniversary of pediatric heart transplantation. In 1984, the Hospital's surgeons performed the world's first successful heart transplant, giving the gift of life to a 4-year-old boy. In the intervening quarter century, more than 350 children have received new hearts at the Hospital, which today has among the country's top three largest pediatric heart transplant programs.
Since her teens, Jennifer Jablon had watched family members deal with breast cancer during their 40s, 50s, and 60s. She wondered whether it would be her fate too.
Researchers at Saint Louis University say further research is needed to determine if surgery is the best option for children with obstructive sleep apnea.
Less pain during injections for wrinkle-fighting facial fillers. Less swelling afterward. Less time in the office waiting for anesthesia to take effect.
Distinguished transplant and cancer surgeon, Alan Hemming, MD, has been recruited to the University of California, School of Medicine to launch a multidisciplinary center for the treatment of advanced liver disease at the UC San Diego Medical Center and Moores UCSD Cancer Center.
Vascular surgeons have the highest market share and the lowest overall mortality and morbidity rates for peripheral arterial interventions, when compared to interventional cardiologists and interventional radiologists who also perform this procedure. These findings were reported in the Nov. 2009 issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery.
UT Southwestern Medical Center patient Michael LeBlanc, 40, is the first in North Texas to receive the newest generation of a mechanical device designed to improve heart function. It will be his lifeline while he awaits a heart transplant.
A leading expert in trauma and critical care surgery has joined UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) to head a newly assembled team of highly-skilled acute care surgeons. Vicente H. Gracias, MD, professor of surgery and chief of Trauma/Surgical Critical Care at the medical school, and director of the Level I Trauma Center at RWJUH, will lead a group that includes surgeons, nurses, case managers and staff specializing in trauma and critical care surgery.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (TJUH) in Philadelphia is the first hospital in Pennsylvania to offer a FDA-approved device that helps individuals with certain types of spinal cord injuries breathe on their own again.
In this study published in the November journal Anesthesiology, researchers examine a concern common among Seniors and their caregivers – the occurrence of long-term cognitive decline following surgery or illness. Results are encouraging for Seniors headed to surgery.
Craniofacial surgeons around the world are striving to make high-quality cleft palate and craniofacial reconstructive surgical services available to children in developing countries. An update on the state of cleft and craniofacial care is published in a special supplement to The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.
A 50-year-old New York woman who was diagnosed with a progressive blinding disease at age 13 was implanted with an experimental electronic eye implant that has partially restored her vision. A team led by Dr. Lucian V. Del Priore at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center performed the June 26 surgery -- the first case of its kind in New York.
A study presented at the 2009 ASA Annual Meeting highlights the crucial importance of investigating multiple factors when designing studies that attempt to predict the development of persistent pain in patients.
Two highlighted studies at the 2009 ASA Annual Meeting provide physicians with information on how to better determine which surgical patients may be at higher risk for developing acute kidney injury following surgery.
Study suggests that elevated levels of BNP biomarker before surgery may predict length of hospital stay and mortality after primary coronary artery bypass graft surgery better than measurements of BNP levels after surgery.
In the largest and most comprehensive examination of postoperative vision loss to date, researchers report that POVL rates declined for the ten year period from 1996-2005.
Anesthesiologists studying the occurrence of persistent postoperative pain have identified four independent risk factors for persistent postoperative pain development and recommend preventative treatment options.
The rates of joint surgery in patients with rheumatoid arthritis peaked in the 1990s and have been declining ever since – suggesting that long-term outcomes are improving for these patients, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Philadelphia, Pa.
Study offers evidence that a woman’s BMI is not a contributing factors to adverse respiratory events associated with morphine commonly administered near the spine following Cesarean delivery.
A new review from Sweden finds that diclofenac -- a medication that works for some adults -- relieves acute pain in children after surgery. However, a U.S. researcher is not convinced that the drug is an improvement over standard treatment.
According to separate studies presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress, the decision to undergo breast reconstruction surgery following surgical treatment for breast cancer can be influenced by learning tools and surgeon referral.
Researchers from the East Carolina Heart Institute of the Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, have found that the outcome of surgical repair of aortic aneurysm may be positively impacted by the use of statin drugs. Postoperative complication and mortality rates were among the risks evaluated.