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Single-port laparoscopic appendectomy performed at Valley Presbyterian Hospital

Surgeons at Valley Presbyterian Hospital (VPH) recently performed the hospital's first-ever single-port laparoscopic appendectomy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for removing an infected appendix, which reduces scarring and healing time because it requires only one incision, Gustavo Valdespino, VPH president and CEO, announced today.

29 Mar 2012

Luna to extend development and supply agreement with Intuitive Surgical

Luna Innovations Incorporated announced today that it will be extending its development work through 2012 under its development and supply agreement with Intuitive Surgical, Inc., as they work towards the integration of Luna's shape and position sensing technology into Intuitive's medical robotic products.

29 Mar 2012

ASGE announces honorees of new endoscopy unit recognition program

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) has recognized 18 endoscopy units as part of its program specifically dedicated to promoting quality in endoscopy, in all settings where it is practiced in the United States.

29 Mar 2012

Enrollment complete in Aperion Biologics' Z-Lig Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Device trial

Aperion Biologics, Inc. announced that it has completed patient enrollment and implantation in the Company's clinical trial of its Z-Lig Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction (ACLR) Device for the treatment of ligament injuries of the knee.

29 Mar 2012

37 year old man living behind a mask gets a new face

A team of U.S. doctors have carried out what they say is the most extensive face transplant ever performed. The operation at the University of Maryland gave Richard Norris 37, a new face, including jaw, teeth and tongue.

28 Mar 2012

Adjusting ventilator to keep breath size and lung pressures lower can reduce death from lung injury

Carefully adjusting mechanical ventilator settings in the intensive care unit to pump smaller breaths into very sick lungs can reduce the chances of dying by as much as 8 percent, according to a study by critical care experts at Johns Hopkins. Study participants were evaluated for two years after their acute lung injury.

28 Mar 2012

New MRI method to test effectiveness of baking soda against breast cancer

A University of Arizona study that looks to improve the way doctors can measure the effectiveness of drinking baking soda to fight breast cancer has received a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

28 Mar 2012

Invasive strategy benefits patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 neuromuscular disorder

Patients with a cardiac irregularity and myotonic dystrophy type 1 (a severe neuromuscular disorder with a high risk of sudden death) who received an invasive treatment strategy that included testing of their heart's electrical conduction system and if needed, implantation of a device such as a pacemaker, had an associated higher rate of 9-year survival compared to patients treated noninvasively, according to a study in the March 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Mar 2012

Improper preparation for colonoscopy hides pre-cancerous polyps

What happens on the day before a colonoscopy may be just as important as the colon-screening test itself.

28 Mar 2012

Lung cancers diagnosed in CT screening are similar to those found in clinical practice

Growth rates of lung cancers found by annual rounds of computed tomography (CT) screening are important for determining the usefulness and frequency of screening, as well as for determining the treatment.

28 Mar 2012

Imatinib improves RFS, overall survival in GIST patients after surgery

Among patients with a high risk of recurrence of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor following surgery for its removal, patients who received imatinib (a drug to treat certain cancers) for 3 years instead of 1 had improved recurrence-free survival and overall survival, according to a study in the March 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Mar 2012

Heart bypass surgery appears to carry higher long-term survival rate

Patients with coronary heart disease and their doctors have long been challenged by the decision of whether to pursue bypass surgery or opt for the less-invasive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI, which includes stenting and balloon angioplasty). New evidence reveals bypass surgery appears to carry a higher long-term survival rate, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session.

28 Mar 2012

UM completes most extensive full vascularized composite allograft to date

The University of Maryland released details today of the most extensive full face transplant completed to date, including both jaws, teeth, and tongue.

28 Mar 2012

Intermittent androgen suppression therapy for prostate cancer

Androgen suppression - the inhibition of testosterone and other male hormones - is a routine therapy for prostate cancer. Unfortunately, it can dramatically reduce the quality of patients' sex lives and, more importantly, lead to cancer recurrence in a more deadly androgen-independent form.

28 Mar 2012

AABB issues new RBC transfusion guidelines

The transfusion of red blood cells is a common treatment in clinical practice. However, the level at which they are transfused varies based not only on a patient's health, but also is determined by what the administering physician deems appropriate. Today, the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) has issued new guidelines, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, recommending that transfusion of red blood cells be considered at a hemoglobin threshold of 7 to 8 g/dL for stable adults and children.

28 Mar 2012

CABG offers higher survival rates for older adults with CHD than PCI

A new comparative effectiveness study found older adults with stable coronary heart disease (CHD) who underwent bypass surgery had better long-term survival rates than those who underwent a non-surgical procedure to improve blood flow to the heart muscle, also called revascularization.

28 Mar 2012

New gene transfer technique can treat beta-thalassemia, sickle cell anemia

A team of researchers led by scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College has designed what appears to be a powerful gene therapy strategy that can treat both beta-thalassemia disease and sickle cell anemia. They have also developed a test to predict patient response before treatment.

28 Mar 2012

Boston Scientific pledges $100,000 to SIR Foundation's Discovery Campaign

The Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation's Discovery Campaign, which seeks to further the growth of minimally invasive medicine into new areas of discovery, announced a major corporate pledge to that initiative. Boston Scientific, a global leader in medical devices for cardiovascular and peripheral interventions, pledged $100,000 and is a "Pioneer" level supporter.

28 Mar 2012

Possible link between sleep apnea and post-surgical delirium

An anecdotal observation of a possible link between sleep apnea and post-surgical delirium has been measured and confirmed by a team of researchers at the Duke University Medical Center.

28 Mar 2012

CRF initiates Harmonizing Outcomes with Revascularization and Stents in AMI II trial

The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) today announced the initiation of the HORIZONS-AMI II randomized trial, evaluating Promus Element platinum-chromium everolimus-eluting stents versus Omega bare-metal stents in patients with heart attack undergoing primary angioplasty with bivalirudin anticoagulation.

28 Mar 2012