News
Long-Term Benefit of Bariatric Surgery Questioned
June 5, 2013 10:29 am | by Nancy Walsh | CommentsBariatric surgery led to greater weight loss and better glycemic control than nonsurgical treatment among patients with diabetes who were mildly obese, but the evidence for long-term efficacy and safety remains limited, a recent systematic review found.
Action Products Welcomes New National O.R. Sales Director, Rick Olin
June 5, 2013 10:16 am | CommentsAction Products, Inc., the leader in reusable patient positioners for the operating room, hires sales executive, Rick Olin, to lead its National O.R. salesforce. Mr. Olin will be based out of the Maryland office. As a National O.R. Sales Director, Rick Olin will work directly with Action field representatives, GPOs, IDNs, Hospitals and the internal customer service department to assist in the projected growth of the Medical Products Group.
Advanced Centers For Surgical Education Opens State-of-the-Art Facility In Houston
June 4, 2013 12:56 pm | CommentsAdvanced Centers for Surgical Education (ACSE), a premier organization that provides venue space for medical and surgical education opened a state-of-the-art, 10,000-square-foot facility across from the Texas Medical Center on Thursday, May 16. The education, training and research development center boasts 17 customizable training stations as well as classrooms and conference spaces.
Secure Health Data Helping Patients, Doctors Improve Care And Health
June 4, 2013 11:07 am | Comments"A more data driven and transparent healthcare marketplace can help consumers and their families make important decisions about their care,” said Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “The administration is committed to making the health system more transparent and harnessing data to empower consumers.”
Technique Could Identify Patients At High Risk Of Stroke Or Brain Hemorrhage
June 4, 2013 10:48 am | CommentsMeasuring blood flow in the brain may be an easy, noninvasive way to predict stroke or hemorrhage in children receiving cardiac or respiratory support through a machine called ECMO, according to a new study. Early detection would allow physicians to alter treatment and take steps to prevent these complications—the leading cause of death for patients on ECMO.
Non-Adherence Among Teenage Heart Transplant Recipients Is Widespread, Often Fatal
June 4, 2013 10:33 am | CommentsA study, looked at eight years' worth of data from the Organ Procurement Transplant Network (OPTN) and found that as many as nine percent of all pediatric and adolescent heart recipients (ages 18 and under) in the U.S. had an episode of NA that compromised their health within two years of receiving their transplant.
Conjoined Twins With Shared Heart Can't Be Split
June 4, 2013 10:28 am | CommentsConjoined Palestinian twins with a shared heart and other vital organs returned home to the West Bank Monday after Israeli doctors determined they could not successfully separate them. The mother, Basma Breiwesh, arrived at a Hebron hospital with her conjoined daughters three days after she gave birth at Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Help Heal A 'Broken' Heart
June 3, 2013 12:04 pm | CommentsProcedures like angioplasty, stenting and bypass surgery may save lives, but they also cause excessive inflammation and scarring, which ultimately can lead to permanent disability and even death. A new research report shows that naturally derived compounds from polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3s) may reduce the inflammation associated with these procedures to help arteries more fully and completely heal.
Temporary Blood Clot Filters May Do More Harm Than Good For Bariatric Surgery Patients
June 3, 2013 12:01 pm | CommentsThe temporary placement of umbrella-like, metal mesh filters in abdominal veins to stop potentially lethal blood clots from traveling to the lungs during and after weight loss surgery may actually increase the risk of death in morbidly obese patients, according to new Johns Hopkins research.
New Technology Makes Breast Cancer Surgery More Precise
June 3, 2013 11:46 am | CommentsSurgeons at UC Irvine Medical Center are the first in the country to use a device that reduces by half the need to reoperate and cut out breast cancer cells missed during an initial lumpectomy. The MarginProbe System lets the surgeon immediately assess whether cancer cells remain on the margins of excised tissue. Currently, patients have to wait days for a pathologist to determine this.
The $2.7 Trillion Medical Bill
June 3, 2013 11:41 am | by Elisabeth Rosenthal | CommentsColonoscopies offer a compelling case study. They are the most expensive screening test that healthy Americans routinely undergo — and often cost more than childbirth or an appendectomy in most other developed countries. Their numbers have increased manyfold over the last 15 years, with data from the CDC suggesting that more than 10 million people get them each year, adding up to more than $10 billion in annual costs.
Safe For Stroke Patients To Continue Blood Thinners Before Minor Surgical Procedures
May 31, 2013 11:57 am | CommentsMany patients who have experienced strokes or mini strokes take blood thinners to reduce the risk of blood clots that can cause strokes. This can pose a dilemma when a patient needs to undergo a surgical procedure, because blood thinners can increase the risk of bleeding. But a new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology advises that it is likely safe to continue taking blood thinners before minor procedures.
VTE Not Easy To Prevent During Bariatric Surgery
May 31, 2013 11:16 am | by Chris Kaiser | CommentsNeither higher doses of anti-clotting drugs nor filters inserted in the vena cava are guaranteed to help prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) during bariatric surgery, a review of the literature suggests. A systematic review and meta-analysis was unable to show that an increased dosage of these medications can prevent VTE in bariatric surgery patients.
Transfusions With Heart Surgery Might Raise Infection Risk
May 31, 2013 11:10 am | CommentsPatients who receive a red blood cell transfusion during or after heart surgery may be at greater risk for infection, according to a new study. However, the use of platelets during transfusions does not appear to carry a similar risk. Limiting red blood cell use could result in fewer major postoperative infections, the researchers suggested.
Former Semi-Pro Arena Football Player Bridged To Heart Transplant With Artificial Heart
May 31, 2013 11:03 am | CommentsWhen Justin Ryder, 35, was discharged from University of Arizona Medical Center in Tucson on May 20, he had a new donor heart beating in his chest and a new baby boy waiting for him at home in Las Vegas, his heart transplant made possible by 83 days of life with a temporary total artificial heart.
