News
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.
Cost Of Sharps Injury Can Range From $375 To $2,500
April 2, 2013 12:46 pm | CommentsInjuries caused by needles and other sharp instruments are a major occupational hazard for surgeons—with high costs related to the risk of contracting serious infectious diseases, according to a recent article.
Medtronic Gets U.S. Clearance For Breathing System
April 2, 2013 11:29 am | CommentsMedical device maker Medtronic Inc. said Tuesday it received U.S. clearance for a new artificial lung system that breathes for patients who are undergoing open heart surgery.
Idaho Hospital Debuts New Reflux Procedure
April 2, 2013 10:24 am | CommentsBingham Memorial Hospital today announced it will be the first hospital in the Intermountain West Region to offer the new LINX procedure for patients suffering from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), a chronic disease allowing gastric fluid to reflux into the esophagus, with a new device recently approved by the FDA.
Diet Shown To Be Critical Factor In Improving Type 2 Diabetes After Bariatric Surgery
April 2, 2013 9:58 am | CommentsPatients with type 2 diabetes who consume a diet identical to the strict regimen followed after bariatric surgery are just as likely to see a reduction in blood glucose levels as those who undergo surgery, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.
Changes In Gastrointestinal Microbes May Produce Benefits Of Gastric Bypass
April 1, 2013 12:38 pm | CommentsChanges in the population of microbial organisms in the gastrointestinal tract may underlie some of the benefits of gastric bypass surgery, reports a team of researchers.
Ansell Awards Unsung Heroes Of American Healthcare
April 1, 2013 12:11 pm | CommentsAnsell, a global leader in protection solutions, announced today the establishment of the H.E.R.O. (Heal, Educate, Reach, Overcome) Nurse Service Award. With the initial launch taking place at this year’s 60thAnnual Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Congress in San Diego, CA, the award will recognize nurses who have made lasting impressions on their peers, their patients, their profession and their community.
Details On Louisville Player Kevin Ware's Injury, Surgery
April 1, 2013 11:04 am | CommentsA gruesome injury that left Louisville guard Kevin Ware with a broken leg plunged Lucas Oil Stadium into horrified silence. are's right leg bent in such an awkward and frightening angle that CBS stopped showing replays shortly after the fall in the NCAA tournament matchup against Duke.
Portable Heart Pump Gives Teen Time
April 1, 2013 10:57 am | by Cynthia McCormick | CommentsAfter a frightening brush with heart failure, the eighth-grader Kyah DeSimone became the first patient at Boston Children's Hospital to be implanted with a heart pump small and portable enough to restore her to normal life while she waits for a transplant.
Hospitals Measure Up For Medicare Reimbursement
April 1, 2013 10:52 am | CommentsFor-profit hospitals are out-performing other hospitals when treating stroke, heart attack and pneumonia patients in emergency departments and, thus, will be more likely to receive bonuses under Medicare’s new payment rules, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.
Texas Physician Breaks Ground In Robotic Cervical Surgery
March 29, 2013 12:34 pm | CommentsDr. Sami Kilic, chief of minimally invasive gynecology and research at UTMB, is the first surgeon in the world reported to have used robotically assisted, ultrasound-guided laparoscopic surgery to successfully tighten a pregnant patient’s incompetent cervix.
New Guidelines for Weight-Loss Surgery Upgrade Sleeve Procedure
March 29, 2013 11:06 am | by Kristina Fiore | CommentsSleeve gastrectomy is an effective form of bariatric surgery and should no longer be considered investigational, according to updated guidelines cosponsored by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, The Obesity Society, and the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery.
Data Lacking On Pediatric Surgery Outcomes
March 29, 2013 10:59 am | CommentsRelationships between surgical volume and outcome appear to extend to pediatric populations, although variation in studies' definitions and methods confounded efforts to compare results, authors of a literature review concluded.
Advances In Surgical Technologies Boost Demand for Efficient Bone Graft Substitutes
March 29, 2013 10:55 am | CommentsProduct and technology improvements in healthcare increased the number of orthopedic surgeries and subsequently, the demand for efficacious bone graft materials in the United States. Owing to these technology introductions, new market segments such as cell-based matrices are gaining at the expense of some others, such as the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) market.
