News
Robotic Surgery Hot Among Surgeons, But Not Everyone Onboard
April 9, 2013 10:44 am | CommentsThe biggest thing in operating rooms these days is a million-dollar, multi-armed robot named da Vinci, used in nearly 400,000 surgeries nationwide last year. However, there is still debate over whether robotic surgery is at least as good or better than conventional surgeries.
Houston Bariatric Practice Hits Surgery Milestone
April 8, 2013 11:38 am | CommentsDr. Sherman C. Yu at Texas Laparoscopic Consultants has successfully completed his 100th minimally invasive SPIDER gastric sleeve procedure, a significant milestone for a bariatric surgeon offering a new advanced technology. Gastric sleeve is a fast-growing choice for surgically supported weight loss.
Uninsured May Have Better Access To Care Than Medicaid Patients
April 8, 2013 11:16 am | CommentsAn internet survey of AAPS members shows that about 47% of respondents think that it is more difficult for a Medicaid patient, compared with an uninsured patient, to get an appointment with a primary-care physician. Only 26% thought that the uninsured had more difficulty.
Laser Burns Up Inoperable Brain Tumors
April 8, 2013 10:47 am | by Charlene Laino | CommentsA new minimally invasive laser therapy showed promise for burning up inoperable recurrent glioblastomas. The device, which was recently cleared by the FDA, is also being tested on other hard-to-treat tumors. While laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) has been used as an ablative treatment for glioma for more than 2 decades, its development was limited due to technical issues.
Liver Transplantation For Patients With Genetic Liver Conditions Has High Survival Rate
April 8, 2013 10:39 am | CommentsResearchers found that children with genetic disorders that cause fibrosis, cirrhosis, and other liver conditions, which can affect other organs, have a good chance of still being alive five years, even 20 years after a liver transplant operation.
Technique Finds Software Bugs In Surgical Robots And Helps Developers Fix Flaws
April 8, 2013 10:36 am | CommentsResearchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory have demonstrated that methods for reliably detecting software bugs and ultimately verifying software safety can be applied successfully to this breed of robot.
Clinical Data Indicates System Reduces Surgical Site Complications In C-Section Patients
April 5, 2013 4:59 pm | CommentsSmith & Nephew, the global medical technology business, today announces data from two independent clinical evaluations that indicate favorable results in preventing surgical site infections when using the PICO Negative Pressure Wound Therapy System (PICO) post-operatively following a Caesarean section.
CABG Effects On Cognition Resolve Quickly
April 5, 2013 1:31 pm | by Michael Smith | CommentsThe cognitive impairment often reported after on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) usually resolves within 8 weeks of the procedure, researchers reported.
Kidney Outcomes Worse For Uninsured
April 5, 2013 12:59 pm | CommentsUninsured patients are more likely to progress to kidney failure and die from it than those who are covered by public or private insurance, researchers reported.
Study: Not All Patients Benefit Equally From Hip Or Knee Replacement
April 5, 2013 11:16 am | CommentsOnly half of people with arthritis who had a hip or knee replacement reported a significant improvement in pain and mobility after surgery, according to a new study.
Study: New Minimally Invasive, MRI-Guided Laser Treatment For Brain Tumor Found To Be Promising
April 5, 2013 11:08 am | CommentsThe paper describes the treatment of the first 10 patients with this technology. These patients, who had a median age of 55, had tumors which were diagnosed to be inoperable or "high risk" for open surgical resection because of their location close to vital areas in the brain, or difficult to access with conventional surgery.
Investigational Vaccine Not Effective In Reducing Post-Operative Staph Infections
April 3, 2013 12:36 pm | CommentsUse of a vaccine to prevent Staphylococcus aureus infections among patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery did not reduce the rate of serious postoperative S aureus infections compared with placebo and was associated with increased mortality among patients who developed S aureus infections, according to a study.
MRI For Low Back Problems Deemed 'Overused'
April 3, 2013 10:56 am | by Crystal Phend | CommentsMore than half of outpatient lumbar spine MRI scans weren't appropriate, with a particularly poor record of ordering by family physicians, researchers found.
Mortality Worse At Critical Access Hospitals
April 3, 2013 10:51 am | by John Gever | CommentsAdjusted death rates among Medicare patients in so-called critical access hospitals, located in rural areas, rose from 2002 to 2010 whereas mortality in other hospitals declined, researchers said.
Wisconsin Clinic Settles False Medicare Lawsuit
April 3, 2013 10:45 am | CommentsThe U.S. Attorney's Office says a company that provides health care in northeastern Wisconsin has agreed to settle a lawsuit claiming it submitted false Medicare claims.
