NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Most patients who receive nonoperative care for a closed humeral-shaft fracture will do well, but up to a third may require secondary surgery leading to poorer outcome, according to a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. “The findings of our study underline the importance…
UK: Lockdown, Not Vaccines, Behind Drop in COVID Deaths
LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Tuesday that the rapid drop in COVID-19 deaths was largely down to a three-month lockdown, not the vaccination programme, and that cases would rise once again as restrictions ease. The United Kingdom launched its inoculation drive in December and has…
Vancomycin Powder May Curb Wound Infection After Knee and Ankle Fracture Surgery
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Intra-wound vancomycin powder reduces gram-positive infection in operatively treated high-risk tibia fractures, according to an open-label randomized clinical trial. “Patients with a fracture around the knee or ankle face a high risk of debilitating infections that require additional surgical treatment,” Dr. Robert V. O’Toole of…
Cavity shave margin resection reduces the rate of positive margins in patients with DCIS
According to the American Cancer Society, a noninvasive breast cancer called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) accounts for approximately one of every four new breast cancer cases in the United States. If left untreated, DCIS has the potential to evolve into invasive cancer, so many patients choose to have breast-conserving…
Surgery is a viable treatment for pancreatic cancer patients especially after chemotherapy
Patients with stage II pancreatic cancer who are treated with chemotherapy followed by resection (an operation that removes the cancerous part of the organ, structure or tissue) live nearly twice as long as patients who receive only chemotherapy, according to a new Journal of the American College of Surgeons study…
Hospital charges increasing more rapidly for hip fracture patients than surgeon reimbursements
In recent years, hospital charges and Medicare payments for patients with hip fractures have increased much more rapidly than charges and payments for orthopaedic surgeons, reports a study in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer. The gap in Medicare reimbursements…
BASILICA Technique Prevents TAVR-Related Coronary Obstruction
For patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), the intentional laceration technique of diseased valve leaflets called BASILICA is effective and reasonably safe for preventing coronary artery obstruction, according to a late-breaking study presented at CRT 2021 sponsored by MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute. In a series of 214 patients…
University of Missouri settles lawsuits over knee surgeries involving veterinarian
The University of Missouri has settled a collection of personal injury and false advertising claims over knee surgeries for $16.2 million, in what appears to be one of its largest public payouts in recent years. The 22 plaintiffs, a handful of whom were minors, filed suits from 2018 through 2020…
New EBRAINS-enabled tool to help guide surgery in drug-resistant epilepsy patients
Scientists of the Human Brain Project have developed a computational tool to locate the areas in a patient’s brain where epilepsy seizures emerge. Now, the team is using EBRAINS to further boost the accuracy with high resolution brain atlas data. With a clinical trial ongoing, the approach aims to give…
Chrissy Teigen Posts Nude Selfie 1 Week After Endometriosis Surgery
Showing self-love. Chrissy Teigen shared a nude mirror selfie one week after her endometriosis surgery. Chrissy Teigen and John Legend’s Family Album “Happy Valentines Day,” the Bring the Funny judge, 35, wrote on her Sunday, February 14, Instagram Story. “Love yourself! Bitch has been through it.” The Cravings author covered…
NIH Research: Funding to support surgeon scientists remarkably risen significantly
An analysis of the National Institutes of Health database reveals surgeon scientists have become more diverse in their research efforts, while still keeping a focus on basic science. Since 2010, National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to support surgeon scientists has, remarkably, risen significantly while funding to support other non-surgeon…