Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Surgery for February 2012. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Low Back Pain Counseling Strategy Ups Return to Work
MONDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Combining a disability evaluation with proactive counseling for workers with low back pain (LBP) results in a higher return-to-work rate, which is statistically significant at one year, according to a study published online Feb. 16 in Spine.
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Multimodal Palliative Approach OK for Advanced Esophageal CA
MONDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with advanced esophageal cancer, use of an individualized, multimodal approach with palliative intention achieves an acceptable mean survival time, with initial use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) offering significantly longer median survival compared to other modalities, according to the results of a single medical center study published online Feb. 14 in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.
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Heartburn Controlled With Step Down to Once Daily Therapy
MONDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients who take twice-daily proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy, are able to successfully step down to management of heartburn with a daily dose of dexlansoprazole modified release (MR), according to a study published in the March issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Older Anesthesiologists Have Higher Litigation Rates
FRIDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Anesthesiologists over the age of 65 years have a higher frequency of litigation and greater severity of injury than their younger counterparts, according to an article published in the March issue of Anesthesiology.
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Aspirin and Clopidogrel Improve Claudication Distance
THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with stable intermittent claudication due to peripheral arterial disease, low-dose aspirin appears to work as well as clopidogrel when given in conjunction with walking rehabilitation to improve initial claudication distance (ICD) and absolute claudication distance (ACD), according to research published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease.
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Sequential Bilateral Cochlear Implantation Ups Life Quality
THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Significant improvements in disease-related quality-of-life (QoL) measures are seen over time following the sequential placement of bilateral cochlear implants (BiCIs) in children with prelingual deafness, according to research published in the February issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
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Family History Ups Risk of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer
THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Family history of thyroid cancer in a first-degree relative may be associated with an increased risk of sporadic differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), according to a study published in the March 1 issue of Cancer.
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Community Health Indicators Tied to Transplant Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- In the community setting, health indicators are significantly associated with post-kidney-transplant mortality, according to a study published online Feb 20 in the Archives of Surgery.
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Skin Cancer Frequency in Chronic Leg Ulcers >10 Percent
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Chronic leg ulcers (CLUs) that don't heal after three months of appropriate treatment have an overall skin cancer frequency of 10.4 percent, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in the Archives of Dermatology.
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Medtronic Stent Approved to Treat Coronary Artery Disease
TUESDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Medtronic's Resolute Integrity Drug-Eluting Stent (DES) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for people with coronary artery disease (CAD), the Minneapolis-based company said in a news release.
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MRSA Screening Protocol Aids in Peds Open Airway Surgery
TUESDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- A screening and antibiotic treatment regimen for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in children undergoing open airway surgery may be helpful for minimizing MRSA-associated postoperative infections in MRSA-colonized patients, according to a study published in the February issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
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Alcohol Dependence Significant Problem for U.S. Surgeons
TUESDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- A considerable number of U.S. surgeons have alcohol abuse and dependence, which is more likely in those who have recently reported major errors, are burned out, and are depressed, according to a study published in the February issue of the Archives of Surgery.
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Surgical Spinal Cord Monitoring May Predict Paralysis
MONDAY, Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Intraoperative monitoring (IOM) of the spinal cord with somatosensory and transcranial electrical motor evoked potentials (EPs) during spinal surgery and certain chest surgeries can help predict surgery-related paralysis and possibly allow for intervention, according to new guidelines published by the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in the Feb. 21 issue of Neurology.
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CT Myelography More Accurately Detects CSF Leakage
MONDAY, Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage may be detected more accurately in patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) using epidural collection on computed tomography myelography (CTM) rather than paraspinal radioisotope (RI) accumulation on radioisotope cisternography (RIC), according to a study published in the Feb. 15 issue of Spine.
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High Uric Acid Level Predictive of Adverse Cardiac Events
FRIDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- A high serum uric acid level is an independent predictor of in-hospital and long-term adverse cardiac events in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), according to research published in the Feb. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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2002 to 2008 Saw Increase in Partial Nephrectomy Use
FRIDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- In the United States, the use of partial nephrectomy procedures to manage renal masses in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) increased significantly from 2002 to 2008, according to research published in the March issue of The Journal of Urology.
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Female Sexual Function Improves After Lesion Surgery
THURSDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Women with deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) who undergo laparoscopic excision and postoperative combined oral contraceptive (COC) therapy have improved postoperative sexual function, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
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Age, Nerve Sparing Tied to Post-Prostatectomy Sexual Function
THURSDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Younger men and those who undergo bilateral nerve sparing (BNS) approaches during a robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) have better recovery of their premorbid orgasmic function compared to older men or men with unilateral or non-nerve sparing surgery, according to a study published in the February issue of the BJU International.
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AHA: Knowledge Gap Identified for Peripheral Artery Disease
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The American Heart Association (AHA) has updated their guidelines for the management of peripheral artery disease (PAD), specifically in women; the updated guidelines were published online Feb. 15 in Circulation.
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Racial Disparity at Many Steps of Renal Transplant Process
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Racial disparities exist with regard to patient access to referral and evaluation for renal transplant, waitlisting, and eventual receipt of a kidney, according to research published in the February issue of the American Journal of Transplantation.
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Procedure, Medication Both Cost-Effective in Glaucoma
TUESDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Generic topical prostaglandin analogs (PGAs) and treatment with laser trabeculoplasty (LTP) are both cost-effective for treatment of newly diagnosed mild open-angle glaucoma, with PGAs providing better quality of life relative to LTP, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in the Archives of Ophthalmology.
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New Staging System IDs cSCC Risk in Transplant Patients
TUESDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- The newly updated seventh edition American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system accurately predicts the risk of recurrence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in high-risk heart and lung transplant recipients, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Radiation Not Tied to Improved Survival in Advanced NSCLC
MONDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) is not associated with improved survival for elderly patients with N2 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a study published online Feb. 13 in Cancer.
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Four-Factor Model Predicts Post-Heart Transplant Mortality
MONDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- A risk-prediction tool using four factors at the time of transplant can help predict post-transplant mortality for children undergoing heart transplantation, according to a study published online Feb. 2 in the American Journal of Transplantation.
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Robotic Surgery Repairs Urinary Tract Obstruction
FRIDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty (RLP) is safe and efficacious for the repair of ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO), according to a study published in the February issue of Urology.
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Males With ACL Injury, Females Share Lateral Knee Geometry
THURSDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Female patients with and without anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, and male patients with ACL injury, share a common lateral tibiofemoral geometry, according to a study published in the Feb. 1 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Casts for Fractures Linked to Development of Osteopenia
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- For adolescents with leg or ankle fractures, wearing a cast results in loss of bone mineral density in the hip or lower limb, according to a study published in the Feb. 1 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Epilepsy Surgery Improves Long-Term Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Epilepsy surgery is a beneficial procedure, resulting in sustained quality of life and better long-term seizure control for patients, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in Epilepsia.
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Polyethylene Glycol Repairs Severed Nerves in Rats
TUESDAY, Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Polyethylene glycol (PEG) may be useful for repairing severed nerves, according to two experimental studies published online Feb. 3 in the Journal of Neuroscience Research.
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Patients Desire Involvement in Planning Breast CA Treatment
TUESDAY, Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Many patients with early-stage breast cancer have a desire for decisional control, which increases postconsultation, and patients who are involved in decisions have better decision-related outcomes, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Exercise Test May Predict Post-Liver Transplant Survival
MONDAY, Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Anaerobic threshold (AT), as determined by submaximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), may have value in predicting 90-day post-transplant survival for patients undergoing liver transplantation, according to a study published in the February issue of Liver Transplantation.
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Noroviruses Are Leading Cause of Hospital Infections
MONDAY, Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Norovirus outbreaks are the leading cause of infection outbreaks in hospitals, particularly in the non-acute care setting, and often lead to unit closure, according to an article published in the February issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
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CT Imaging Boosts Safety in Spinal Curvature Surgery
FRIDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Computed tomography (CT) can measure altered angles of spinal curvature in relation to the esophagus of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients to help decrease the potential for injuries during insertion of thoracic pedicle screws (TPS), according to a study published in the Feb. 1 issue of Spine.
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Palsy Complications Low for Cervical Spine Surgery
FRIDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of postoperative C5 nerve palsy, a well-known complication in cervical spine surgery, is very low, according to research published in the Feb. 1 issue of Spine.
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Sarcopenia Predictive of Mortality in Cirrhosis
FRIDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with cirrhosis being evaluated for liver transplantation, sarcopenia is associated with increased mortality and significantly lower median survival time, according to research published in the February issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Increased ADHD Rates in Children Exposed to Anesthesia
FRIDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Repeated exposure to general anesthesia before age 2 years is associated with increased risk for later development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a study published in the February issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
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Live Liver Donation Doesn't Impact Long-Term Mortality
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of early death for live liver donors is 1.7 per 1,000 donors, and long-term mortality is similar to that of healthy individuals, according to a study published in the February issue of Gastroenterology.
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Repeat Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Increases Detection of CRC
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Repeated screening by flexible sigmoidoscopy (FSG) increases the detection of colorectal cancer or advanced adenoma in women and men, according to a study published online Jan. 31 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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