Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Surgery for June 2006. 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.
New MRI Technique Identifies Blocked Coronary Arteries
THURSDAY, June 29 (HealthDay News) -- A new non-invasive cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique -- which combines stress first-pass perfusion MRI with delayed contrast enhancement -- is highly accurate in showing blockage of the coronary arteries, according to a study in the July issue of Radiology.
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Antioxidant May Cut Contrast Dye-Induced Nephropathy
WEDNESDAY, June 28 (HealthDay News) -- In myocardial infarction patients undergoing primary angioplasty, intravenous and oral doses of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine may help prevent contrast-medium-induced nephropathy and improve outcomes, according to a study published in the June 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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New Model Identifies Mutations in Colorectal Cancer
WEDNESDAY, June 28 (HealthDay News) -- A new predictive model developed by multivariate logistic regression accurately identifies patients with colorectal cancer who are carriers of mutations in DNA repair genes, according to a study published in the June 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Boston Scientific Recalls Pacemakers and Defibrillators
TUESDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- Boston Scientific Corporation has recalled a subset of cardiac devices including Insignia and Nexus pacemakers, Contak Renewal TR/TR2 cardiac resynchronization pacemakers and Ventak Prizm 2, Vitality and Vitality 2 implantable cardioverter defibrillators, manufactured by the company's Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) Group. The group was formerly Guidant's CRM business, acquired by Boston Scientific in April this year.
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Perineal Care Washcloths Recalled Due to Bacteria
TUESDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Sage Products of Cary, Ill., have announced a recall of certain batches of Comfort Shield Perineal Care Washcloths due to contamination with Burkholderia cepacia.
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Minimally Invasive Procedure Can Cure Testicular Cancer
FRIDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) -- High-intensity focused ultrasonography (HIFU) combined with radiation treatment can eradicate testicular cancer in a minimally invasive way, according to a study of seven patients in the June issue of Urology.
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Patient Expectations for Knee Replacement Vary By Country
THURSDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- Expectations among total knee replacement patients can vary by location, with Australians expecting better knee function a year after surgery than British or U.S. patients, according to a report in the June issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
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Aseptic Loosening Forces Revised Metal Hip Surgeries
THURSDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- Aseptic loosening is the primary reason for revisions of Sikomet metal-on-metal total hip replacement surgeries less than a decade after the procedures, according to a pair of reports in the June issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
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Freshness of Blood Can Affect Cardiac Surgery Outcome
THURSDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- The freshness of blood used in transfusion during reoperative cardiac surgery can have an impact on the outcome, according to a study published in the July 1 issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia.
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Intravascular Ultrasound Identifies Plaque Components
THURSDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- Intravascular ultrasound radiofrequency (IVUS RF) backscatter analysis, a color-coded mapping method, accurately identifies atherosclerotic plaque components that may be likely to rupture, according to a study in the June 20 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Consistent Beta-Blocker Use Best in Decompensated HF
THURSDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who are on beta-blockers before and during hospitalization for decompensated heart failure may experience better outcomes than those who have the drugs discontinued during their hospitalization, according to a study in the June 20 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Filter with Carotid Stenting May Benefit High-Risk Patients
WEDNESDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) -- A distal embolic protection system that utilizes a filter may be an alternative way to perform carotid artery stenting in patients who are too high-risk for endarterectomy, according to a study published in the June 20 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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FDA Warns About Reusable Ultrasound Biopsy Equipment
WEDNESDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning to health care professionals to properly clean and sterilize reusable ultrasound biopsy transducer assemblies to avoid patient infections due to contaminated equipment.
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Sentinel Node Analysis Accurate in Colorectal Cancer
TUESDAY, June 20 (HealthDay News) -- Lymphatic mapping and the analysis of sentinel nodes can be a reliable way to stage colorectal cancer (CRC) and to select patients for chemotherapy, according to a report in the June issue of the Archives of Surgery.
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Tissue Sterilization Process Preserves Tissue Integrity
TUESDAY, June 20 (HealthDay News) -- Pretreatment of soft-tissue allografts with a protective solution followed by high-dose irradiation may rid tissue of viral and bacterial contamination while maintaining tissue integrity, according to a report published in the May issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research.
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Most Tufted Angiomas Spontaneously Regress
TUESDAY, June 20 (HealthDay News) -- Most congenital tufted angiomas spontaneously regress and should be initially managed by observation rather than surgery, according to a series of case reports in the June issue of the Archives of Dermatology.
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New Guidelines Issued for Valvular Heart Disease
FRIDAY, June 16 (HealthDay News) -- Major advances in non-invasive testing and surgery for patients with valvular heart disease are addressed in updated guidelines jointly released June 16 by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.
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Surgery for Ulcerative Colitis Increases Risk of Infertility
THURSDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) -- Women who are treated for ulcerative colitis with ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) have a threefold higher risk of infertility compared with women treated with drug therapy, according to a study published online June 13 in Gut.
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Intestinal Surgery Can Lead to Vitamin A-Linked Vision Loss
THURSDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who have undergone intestinal surgery can experience vision problems due to vitamin A deficiency many years later, particularly if they have liver disease or other comorbidities, according to a series of case reports published online June 14 in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
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FDA Targets Unclear Medical Abbreviations
THURSDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has launched a national health professional education campaign to eliminate a common but preventable cause of medication errors: unclear and potentially confusing abbreviations written by health care professionals and others.
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Ischemia Preconditioning Helps Children in Heart Surgery
WEDNESDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- Preconditioning children about to undergo cardiac surgery by temporarily blocking blood flow to their legs and inducing ischemia-reperfusion may offer a protective effect against ischemia-related damage during the procedure, according to a report in the June 6 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Warfarin Best at Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation
FRIDAY, June 9 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with atrial fibrillation, anticoagulants such as warfarin continue to be the gold-standard treatment for preventing stroke, according to a study published in the June 10 issue of The Lancet, which was halted early due to the superiority of the oral anticoagulant.
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Male Sexual Dysfunction Can Occur After Hernia Operation
FRIDAY, June 9 (HealthDay News) -- About 3 percent of men who have undergone inguinal herniorrhaphy experience pain that moderately or severely affects their sexual function, according to a study in the June issue of Pain.
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Touch Sensor Developed with Sensitivity of Human Finger
FRIDAY, June 9 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have developed a device that can sense texture by touch with a sensitivity comparable to that of a human finger, which may prove to be useful for the next generation of minimally invasive surgical tools, according to a report in the June 9 issue of Science.
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Higher Risk of Complications with Repeat Caesareans
THURSDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- A woman's risk of serious maternal morbidity -- including placenta accreta and hysterectomy -- rises with an increasing number of Caesarean deliveries, according to a report in the June issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Long-Term Compliance Good After Myocardial Infarction
WEDNESDAY, June 7 (HealthDay News) -- When patients are started on beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and statins soon after an acute myocardial infarction, they are likely to continue taking the medications for many years. But the dosages they receive may be suboptimal, according to a study published in the May issue of the European Heart Journal.
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Revascularization Boosts Survival in Cardiogenic Shock
TUESDAY, June 6 (HealthDay News) -- Early revascularization after acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock results in a 13 percent improvement in survival after six years compared with initial medical stabilization, according to a study in the June 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Nap Schedule May Reduce Fatigue in Medical Residents
TUESDAY, June 6 (HealthDay News) -- A protected nap schedule for medical residents covering overnight shifts only modestly increases sleep time but reduces reports of fatigue and sleepiness, according to a study in the June 6 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Pulmonary Resection Helps in Small Cell Lung Cancer
THURSDAY, June 1 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with early small cell lung cancer who have pulmonary resection surgery with a curative intent have a better median survival rate than those with a palliative procedure, and the surgery has a low morbidity and mortality for those with stage I or II cancer, according to a study published in the May issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
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Patient-Choice C-Section May Ultimately Restrict Options
THURSDAY, June 1 (HealthDay News) -- Increasing advocacy for patient-choice Caesarean delivery may create an environment that makes it difficult for women to choose vaginal delivery, particularly if they have had a previous Caesarean delivery or present with a breech fetus, according to an essay published in the May/June issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
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