Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Surgery for May 2017. 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.
ENT Applicant Perspectives Shed Light on Residency Process
WEDNESDAY, May 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Residency applicants provide a unique perspective on the current state of the match, revealing potential opportunities for system-wide improvement, according to a study published online May 25 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
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Diabetic Foot Ulcers, Infections Significantly Up Burden of Care
WEDNESDAY, May 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and diabetic foot infections (DFIs) are associated with increased risks of admission and outpatient visits, according to a study published online May 11 in Diabetes Care.
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Social Psychology May Help With Physician Error Disclosure
TUESDAY, May 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Lessons from social psychology can be used to improve behavioral changes in terms of error disclosure, according to research published online May 18 in Medical Education.
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High-Risk Pools May Represent Step Back for U.S. Health Care
TUESDAY, May 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Proposed legislation as part of the American Health Care Act, which includes the option of high-risk pools, is not likely to reduce costs, according to an Ideas and Opinions piece published online May 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Increased Gut Diversity Seen After Roux-en-Y
TUESDAY, May 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery triggers major changes in the microbial population of the digestive tract, according to a report published online May 26 in the ISME Journal.
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Deceased Diabetic Donor Kidneys Feasible for Transplantation
FRIDAY, May 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Kidneys from deceased donors who had diabetes can save the lives of patients on the transplant wait-list, according to a study published online May 25 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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New Health Care Act Could Result in 23 Million Losing Insurance
FRIDAY, May 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The Republican-led bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that passed the House this month would result in 23 million Americans losing their health insurance coverage, according to a report issued by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
New Bill Intends to Repeal Limits on Physician-Owned Hospitals
FRIDAY, May 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A new bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would repeal the federal law essentially banning construction of physician-owned hospitals and making it difficult for these facilities to grow, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Reduction in Post-Op Delirium With mHELP Program
FRIDAY, May 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For older patients undergoing abdominal surgery, participating in a modified Hospital Elder Life Program (mHELP) is associated with a reduced risk of postoperative delirium and with shorter length of stay, according to a study published online May 24 in JAMA Surgery.
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Peri-Op IV Acetaminophen May Reduce Post-Op Pain in Sinus Sx
THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Perioperative intravenous acetaminophen (IVAPAP) may be beneficial for reducing immediate postoperative pain after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), although the results are inconclusive, according to a study published online May 25 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
New Interactive Module Aims to Clarify Professional Boundaries
THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A new interactive training module in medical ethics can help physicians to understand professional boundaries, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Path to Empathy Deemed As Vital As Being Empathetic
THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Different paths to perspective of another's experience are associated with varying effect on helpers' health during helping behavior, according to a study published online April 16 in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
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Doctors Urged to Check Patient Drug History Before Opioid Rx
WEDNESDAY, May 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Prescription databases can help combat drug abuse when doctors are required by law to check them before writing opioid prescriptions, according to a study to be published in a future issue of the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy.
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Mortality Rates Found Lower at Major Teaching Hospitals
WEDNESDAY, May 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults treated at major teaching facilities are less likely to die in the weeks and months following their discharge than patients admitted to community hospitals, according to research published in the May 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Opioid Use Before TKA May Lead to Worse Pain After Surgery
WEDNESDAY, May 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Patients taking opioids before total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may have greater pain after the procedure, according to a study published in the May 17 issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation Relieves Low Back Pain
WEDNESDAY, May 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with discogenic low back pain due to failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation at L2 to L3 is associated with low back pain relief, according to a study published online May 9 in Pain Practice.
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Five-Year Risk of Repeat SUI, POP Surgery Less Than 10 Percent
TUESDAY, May 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For women undergoing surgery for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP), the risk of repeat procedures is less than 10 percent, with increased risks for older women and initial POP surgery, according to a study published in the June issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Gender Confirmation Surgeries Up 20 Percent From 2015 to 2016
MONDAY, May 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reports a nearly 20 percent increase in transgender-related surgeries in the first two years of collecting data on these procedures.
One in Five Cancers in the United States Is Considered Rare
FRIDAY, May 19, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Rare cancers account for one in five cancers diagnosed in the United States, presenting special challenges to doctors and patients, according to research published online May 19 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
More U.S. Women Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer
THURSDAY, May 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The number of U.S. women living with metastatic breast cancer has been rising since the 1990s, according to a study published online May 18 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
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Tips Provided to Help Physicians Plan for Retirement
THURSDAY, May 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians should consider their retirement and plan ahead at all stages of their career, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Global Burden of Cardiovascular Disease Assessed
THURSDAY, May 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major global burden, despite declines in the mortality rate due to CVD in high-income and some middle-income countries, according to a study published online May 17 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Treatment in Hospital by Older Doctors Tied to Higher Mortality
WEDNESDAY, May 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Hospitalized patients 65 and older may face a slightly higher risk of dying within a month of their admittance when treated by an older versus younger physician, according to research published online May 16 in The BMJ.
CDC: Slowing of Decline in Number of Uninsured Adults
WEDNESDAY, May 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The decline in the number of Americans without health insurance stalled in 2016 after five years of progress, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Tuesday.
Review Supports Early Multimodal Tx for Infantile Hemangioma
WEDNESDAY, May 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Early multimodality treatment seems to achieve best results for children with infantile hemangiomas of the nose, according to research published online May 11 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
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Plan Suggested for Reducing Health Care Costs
TUESDAY, May 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Health care costs can be reduced, with a nine-step plan suggested as a starting place, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Cancer Screen Adherence Low for Solid Organ Transplant Recipients
TUESDAY, May 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Most solid organ transplant recipients (SOTR) do not adhere to standard recommendations for cancer screening, according to a study published online May 9 in the American Journal of Transplantation.
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FDA Approves New Device to Treat Esophageal Atresia
MONDAY, May 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A new medical device has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat esophageal atresia.
Hospitals Need to Be Prepared for Ransomware Attacks
FRIDAY, May 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Hackers are increasingly targeting hospitals, using viruses to lock their computer systems and hold sensitive medical data and other files hostage, according to an observation piece published online May 11 in The BMJ.
Transplanting HCV+ Kidneys Into HCV− Recipients Feasible
FRIDAY, May 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- In a research letter published online April 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine, Philadelphia doctors write that they have cleared hepatitis C infections in 10 patients who received kidneys from deceased donors who had the virus.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Program Ups Outcomes
FRIDAY, May 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- An enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program is associated with improved outcomes for patients undergoing elective colorectal resection and emergency hip fracture repair, according to a study published online May 10 in JAMA Surgery.
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Arthroscopy for Degenerative Knees Deemed Seldom Effective
THURSDAY, May 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Arthroscopic surgery should rarely be used to treat degenerative knee disease, according to a Rapid Recommendations report published online May 10 in The BMJ.
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Practice Prices Linked to Some Measures of Care Coordination
THURSDAY, May 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- High-price practices have higher scores on certain measures of care coordination and management, but the overall relationship between higher prices and quality and efficiency of care is weak, according to a report published in the May issue of Health Affairs.
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Outpatient Wait Times Are Longer for Medicaid Recipients
THURSDAY, May 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Medicaid patients have slightly longer waits at medical appointments than those with private insurance, according to a report published in the May issue of Health Affairs.
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Leukotriene B4 Is Promising Drug Target for Tx of Lymphedema
THURSDAY, May 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- An underlying mechanism has been identified that could eventually lead to the first drug therapy for lymphedema, according to a study published online May 10 in Science Translational Medicine.
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New VTE Often Occurs During Chemo in Ovarian Cancer
THURSDAY, May 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with ovarian cancer, new diagnosis of venous thromboembolism frequently occurs during neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy, according to a study published in the June issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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Increases in Rates of Insured Don't Harm Continuously Insured
WEDNESDAY, May 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Increases in insurance coverage from 2008 to 2014 were not associated with worse access to care for continuously insured adults, according to a study published in the May issue of Health Affairs.
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Postmarket Safety Events for 32 Percent of Novel Therapeutics
WEDNESDAY, May 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- From 2001 to 2010, 32 percent of novel therapeutics approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had a postmarket safety event, according to a study published in the May 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Evidence-Based Medicine Course Beneficial for Critical Thinking
TUESDAY, May 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- An evidence-based medicine (EBM) course has some positive effect on medical student critical thinking (CT), according to a study published online April 27 in the Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine.
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PCSK9 Linked to New-Onset Diabetes After Renal Transplant
TUESDAY, May 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For renal transplant recipients (RTRs) without diabetes, circulating proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is associated with new-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT), according to a study published online May 1 in Diabetes Care.
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Voriconazole Exposure May Affect SCC After Lung Transplant
TUESDAY, May 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For lung transplant (LTx) recipients, prolonged exposure to voriconazole may be associated with the development or recurrence of skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), according to a study published online May 2 in the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research.
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Most Physician Mothers Report Perceived Discrimination
TUESDAY, May 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A considerable proportion of physician mothers report perceived discrimination, according to a research letter published online May 8 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Traveling to Academic Hospital May Be Best for Pancreatic Cancer
TUESDAY, May 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who travel to an academic medical center to undergo surgery for pancreatic cancer live a few months longer than those who choose to have their operation at a hospital closer to home, according to a study published online May 1 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
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More Women Than Men Leaving Practice of Medicine
MONDAY, May 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- More women than men leave the practice of medicine, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Poll: Many Americans Concerned About ACA Repeal
THURSDAY, May 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Only one in five Americans support a repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a new HealthDay/Harris Poll reveals.
CMS Releases Resources to Help With Payment System
THURSDAY, May 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently added three new online resources to assist physicians already participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and those exploring the opportunities available.
Marked Variation in Number of Stages Per Case for Mohs Surgery
WEDNESDAY, May 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- There is considerable variation in the number of stages per case for Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS), according to a study published online April 28 in JAMA Dermatology.
Half of U.S. Doctors Receive Payments From Industry
WEDNESDAY, May 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- About half of U.S. doctors received payments from the pharmaceutical and medical device industries in 2015, amounting to $2.4 billion, and any form or amount of compensation can influence prescribing behavior, according to research published in the May 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on conflict of interest.
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Von Willebrand Factor Multimers Predict Regurgitation in TAVR
TUESDAY, May 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Assessment of defects in high-molecular-weight (HMW) multimers of von Willebrand factor or point-of-care assessment of hemostasis can monitor aortic regurgitation during transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR), according to a study published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Low-Dose Aspirin Linked to Reduced Risk of Breast Cancer
TUESDAY, May 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Regularly taking low-dose aspirin appears to protect women from hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer, according to a study published online May 1 in Breast Cancer Research.
Drug-Impaired Driving Continuing to Rise in the United States
MONDAY, May 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- In fatal vehicle crashes, illicit drugs are now more likely to have played a role than the use of alcohol on its own, according to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility.
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'Choosing Wisely' Linked to Small Drop in Back Pain Imaging
MONDAY, May 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- "Choosing Wisely," launched in April 2012, has contributed to a small reduction in low-value back imaging, according to a study published online April 25 in Health Affairs.
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Intraoperative Methadone Cuts Post-Op Opioid Use in Spine Sx
MONDAY, May 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion surgery, intraoperative methadone administration is associated with reduced postoperative opioid requirements, according to a study published in the May issue of Anesthesiology.
Less Morbidity Seen for High-Intensity Focused U/S of Fibroids
MONDAY, May 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) causes substantially less morbidity than surgery for treatment of uterine fibroids, with similar long-term quality of life (QoL), according to a study published online April 19 in BJOG.
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