News
Gene Variant Appears To Predict Weight Loss After Gastric Bypass
May 3, 2013 10:50 am | CommentsMassachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have identified a gene variant that helps predict how much weight an individual will lose after gastric bypass surgery, a finding with the potential both to guide treatment planning and to facilitate the development of new therapeutic approaches to treating obesity and related conditions like diabetes.
Vermont Woman Disfigured In Lye Attack Reveals New Face
May 3, 2013 10:44 am | by Rodrique Ngowi, Associated Press | CommentsA Vermont woman revealed her new face Wednesday, six years after her ex-husband disfigured her by dousing her with industrial-strength lye, and said she went through "what some may call hell" but has found a way to be happy. Carmen Blandin Tarleton of Thetford had face transplant surgery at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital in February and spoke publicly for the first time at a news conference at the hospital Wednesday.
Dr. Mark Werner Named President Of American College Of Physician Executives
May 1, 2013 11:32 am | CommentsThe American College of Physician Executives (ACPE) today announced the selection of the new members and officers of the 2013-14 board of directors, including the appointment of Mark Werner, MD, CPE, FACPE, as ACPE president and chairman of the board.
ACell Receives SMARTCAP Award From NASA-Funded Space Research Institute
May 1, 2013 11:26 am | CommentsACell, Inc., a leading developer of next-generation regenerative medicine products, announced today that it has received the Space Medicine and Related Technologies Commercialization Assistance Program (SMARTCAP) award, given by National Space Biomedical Research Institute's (NSBRI) Industry forum.
Mountain States Health Alliance Launches Perioperative Management SIS
May 1, 2013 11:22 am | CommentsSurgical Information Systems (‘SIS’), a leader in perioperative information systems, announced today that Mountain States Health Alliance (MSHA) has completed implementation of Perioperative Management by SIS for organizations using Soarian Clinicals from Siemens Healthcare in two facilities: Johnson City Medical Center and Johnston Memorial Hospital.
Study: Survival From Cardiac Arrest Highest In OR, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit
May 1, 2013 10:56 am | CommentsUniversity of Michigan study from the “Online First” edition of Anesthesiology found cardiac arrest was associated with improved survival when it occurred in the operating room (O.R.) or post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) compared to other hospital locations. The findings offer evidence that the presence of anesthesia providers in these locations may improve outcomes for certain patients.
First-Ever 'Blindfolded' Simulated Procedure Performed Using Robotics
May 1, 2013 10:48 am | CommentsSurgeons at Boston Children's Hospital, using a new man-machine interface, were able to successfully perform simulated robotic surgical procedures using only their sense of touch. Cambridge Research & Development (CRD) has recently completed research on a new haptic robotic interface which provides an enhanced level of tactile feedback allowing robotic operators to perform operations previously problematic and dangerous.
Regional Anesthesia Technique Significantly Improves Outcomes Of Hip, Knee Replacement
May 1, 2013 10:41 am | CommentsA highly underutilized anesthesia technique called neuraxial anesthesia, also known as spinal or epidural anesthesia, improves outcomes in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement, according to a new study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery.
Gastric Bypass Findings Could Lead To Diabetes Treatment
May 1, 2013 10:36 am | CommentsA Lund University research team has shed new light on why gastric bypass often sends diabetes into remission rapidly, opening the door to developing treatment with the same effect. About 85 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes who undergo a gastric bypass procedure recover from the disease within a few days, showing a return to normal blood sugar levels - long before any weight loss.
Lawsuit Accuses Surgeon Of Operating On Wrong Side Of Woman's Brain
April 30, 2013 10:49 am | by Jim Doyle | CommentsThe patient, Regina Turner, 53, of St. Ann, was scheduled on April 4 for a “left-sided craniotomy bypass” at St. Clare Health Center in Missouri, according to a complaint filed in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County in Clayton. Instead, she received a “right-sided craniotomy surgical procedure,” the suit alleges.
Groundbreaking Surgery For Girl Born Without Windpipe
April 30, 2013 10:44 am | by Henry Fountain | CommentsUsing plastic fibers and human cells, doctors have built and implanted a windpipe in a 2 ½-year-old girl — the youngest person ever to receive a bioengineered organ. The surgery, which took place on April 9 here at Children’s Hospital of Illinois and will be formally announced Tuesday, is only the sixth of its kind and the first to be performed in the United States.
Antidepressants Linked With Increased Risks After Surgery
April 30, 2013 10:40 am | CommentsSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – among the most widely prescribed antidepressant medications – are associated with increased risk of bleeding, transfusion, hospital readmission and death when taken around the time of surgery, according to an analysis led by researchers at UC San Francisco and Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass.
Study Finds Possible Alternative to Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery
April 30, 2013 10:36 am | CommentsScientists at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center used a catheter to re-direct the flow of bile from the bile duct into the small intestine, producing the same metabolic and weight-loss benefits as bariatric surgeries such as gastric by-pass. They named the procedure bile diversion, or BD.
Emergency Care Cost Estimates Are Too Low
April 29, 2013 12:35 pm | CommentsThe ER has become increasingly important as a place where people go for acute unscheduled care, however there has been little rigorous analysis of its cost structure. A new cost analysis suggests that emergency care accounts for far more than the commonly accepted 1.9 percent of the nation’s $2.6-trillion annual health care bill. It’s more likely between 4.9 and 5.8 percent.
How Would You Like Your Assistant - Human Or Robotic?
April 29, 2013 12:30 pm | CommentsRoboticists are currently developing machines that have the potential to help patients with caregiving tasks, such as housework, feeding and walking. But before they reach the care recipients, assistive robots will first have to be accepted by healthcare providers such as nurses and nursing assistants.
