Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Surgery for February 2020. 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.
Recommendations Developed for Appropriate Thyroidectomy
THURSDAY, Feb. 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- In guidelines issued by the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, published in the March issue of the Annals of Surgery, recommendations are presented for the definitive surgical management of thyroid disease in adults.
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Adding Pembrolizumab May Up Response in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with untreated stage II or III triple-negative breast cancer, pembrolizumab plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy, compared with placebo plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy, is associated with a significantly higher rate of pathological complete response, according to a study published in the Feb. 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Influence of Politics Has Not Waned in Opinions About ACA
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Public opinion about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remains divided 10 years after its passage, according to a study published online Feb. 19 in Health Affairs.
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Mistreatment, Discrimination Still Common for Medical Students
TUESDAY, Feb. 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Mistreatment of medical students remains common for women, racial/ethnic minorities, and sexual minorities, according to a study published online Feb. 24 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Many Smokers Who Quit Before Gastric Bypass Surgery Relapse
MONDAY, Feb. 24, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Although most adults who smoke prior to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) quit before surgery, the rate of relapse is high, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in the Annals of Surgery.
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QOL Similar After Surgery, Antibiotics for Uncomplicated Appendicitis
FRIDAY, Feb. 21, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- For patients being treated for uncomplicated acute appendicitis, quality of life (QOL) is similar at seven years after appendectomy or antibiotic therapy, according to a study published online Feb. 19 in JAMA Surgery.
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Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Many Transgender Youth Intentionally Avoid Disclosure
THURSDAY, Feb. 20, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Most transgender youth voluntarily disclose their gender identity to health care providers (HCPs) outside of a gender clinic; however, almost half report having intentionally avoided disclosure, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
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Survival After Pediatric Kidney Transplant Drastically Improved
THURSDAY, Feb. 20, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- There has been an increase in survival after pediatric kidney transplantation since 1970, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Functional Outcomes Similar Across Localized Prostate Cancer Treatments
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Most functional differences associated with contemporary management of localized prostate cancer attenuate by five years, according to a study published in the Jan. 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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AAP Addresses Fertility Preservation for Children With Cancer
TUESDAY, Feb. 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Medical and ethical considerations of fertility preservation in children with cancer are addressed in a clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, published online Feb. 18 in Pediatrics.
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Maximal Resection of Glioblastomas May Up Survival
TUESDAY, Feb. 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Maximal resection of a contrast-enhanced (CE) tumor is associated with improved overall survival in patients with isocitrate dehydrogenase gene 1 or 2 (IDH)-wild-type and IDH-mutant subtype glioblastomas, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in JAMA Oncology.
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Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
U.S. Life Expectancy to Reach 85 by 2060
FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly a quarter of all U.S. residents will be older than 65 by 2060, and life expectancy will reach an all-time high of 85 by that year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
AP News Article
Cool Water for 20 Minutes After Pediatric Burn Improves Outcomes
FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Cooling children's burns with running water improves clinical outcomes, according to a study published in the January issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
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Bariatric Surgery May Cut Risk for Colorectal Cancer in Obese Patients
THURSDAY, Feb. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Among obese individuals, those who undergo bariatric surgery have an approximately 35 percent lower risk for developing colorectal cancer than those who do not undergo surgery, according to a review and meta-analysis published online Jan. 24 in the British Journal of Surgery.
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Risk for Complications From Mesh Implant Does Not Diminish
THURSDAY, Feb. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Continued surveillance after mesh use in pelvic organ prolapse (POP) repairs is necessary, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Use of Revascularization Up for Critical Limb Ischemia in Veterans
THURSDAY, Feb. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- For veterans, the incidence of critical limb ischemia decreased from 2005 to 2013, while use of revascularization increased from 2005 to 2014, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions.
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Smartphone, Web App May Help Predict Prognosis for Meningioma
THURSDAY, Feb. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- An open-source smartphone and web application has been developed to help predict clinical malignancy and survival outcomes for meningioma, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in npj Digital Medicine.
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2011 to 2018 Saw Decline in Problems Paying Medical Bills
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- From 2011 to 2018, there was a decrease in the percentage of families having problems paying medical bills in the past 12 months, according to a February data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.
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Out-of-Network Billing Common for Surgery Within Network
TUESDAY, Feb. 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- About one in five patients undergoing common elective operations performed with in-network primary surgeons and facilities have an out-of-network bill, according to a study published in the Feb. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Editor's Note
Virtual Cross-Matching May Speed Kidney Transplant Process
TUESDAY, Feb. 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Virtual cross-matching may reduce cold ischemia time (CIT) for donor organs in kidney transplants, according to a study published online Feb. 5 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
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Empathy Declines as Students Progress Through Medical School
MONDAY, Feb. 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Students become less empathic toward patients throughout medical school, according to a study published online Jan. 21 in Academic Medicine.
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Medical Group Opposes States' Limits on Trans Youth Access to Treatment
MONDAY, Feb. 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A group of medical professionals in southern states opposes proposals that would limit transgender minors' access to gender-affirming health care such as hormone therapy and surgery.
CNN Article
Seniors Have Concerns About Affording Health Insurance
MONDAY, Feb. 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Many adults aged 50 to 64 years are concerned about their ability to afford health insurance, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in JAMA Network Open.
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Economic Burden of Kidney Transplant Graft Failure Quantified
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Kidney transplant graft failure is associated with additional medical costs of $78,079 for the average patient and a loss of 1.66 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), according to a study published online Feb. 5 in the American Journal of Transplantation.
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Five-Year Outcomes Comparable for TAVR, Surgical AVR
TUESDAY, Feb. 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- There is no significant difference in the incidence of death or disabling stroke at five years among patients with aortic stenosis at intermediate surgical risk who undergo transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or surgical aortic valve replacement, according to a study published online Jan. 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Proactive Pain Management May Cut Postop Opioid Prescriptions
MONDAY, Feb. 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- An enhanced recovery after surgery program complemented by a preemptive pain management program is associated with a decrease in opioid prescriptions at discharge following minimally invasive foregut surgery, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
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