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Blood Clot Risk for Outpatients Needs More Attention: Study

Posted 27 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, April 27 – People undergoing outpatient surgery should be warned about their risk for dangerous blood clots, according to a new study that finds the risk is higher among groups including, but not limited to, those who are older or obese. The University of Michigan researchers found that one in 84 patients considered high-risk suffers a blood clot after outpatient surgery. More than 60 percent of operations are currently performed as outpatient procedures, according to background information in a university new release. "Outpatient surgery now includes a greater variety of procedures, from plastic surgery to cancer operations and orthopedic surgery, and not all patients are young, healthy individuals," lead study author Dr. Christopher Pannucci, a University of Michigan plastic surgeon, said in the news release. "These data are in stark contrast to provider and patient ... Read more

Related support groups: Surgery, Venous Thromboembolism

Seniors' Long-Term Use of Strong Painkillers a Concern

Posted 12 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 12 – Older patients prescribed narcotic painkiller drugs, such as codeine or oxycodone, soon after short-stay surgery are at increased risk of becoming long-term users, a new study finds. Canadian researchers looked at data from almost 400,000 patients aged 66 and older who had short-stay surgery for cataracts, gallbladder removal, prostate tissue removal or varicose vein stripping. Of those patients, almost 28,000 (more than 7 percent) were prescribed narcotic painkillers, also called opioids, within seven days after hospital discharge. More than 30,000 (nearly 8 percent) were prescribed opioids one year after surgery. Almost 3,000 (more than 10 percent) of patients from both groups were identified as long-term opioid users one year after surgery. Patients who received an opioid prescription within seven days of surgery were about 44 percent more likely to become ... Read more

Experimental Blood Thinner Given Before Surgery Shows Benefit

Posted 17 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Jan. 17 – An experimental anti-blood-clotting drug can serve as a replacement for other drugs such as Plavix in the days before heart surgery, a new study has found. The intravenous drug cangrelor appears to have the potential to serve as a "bridge" medication for heart patients to take in the several days before procedures such as coronary artery bypass grafting, the study authors reported. Anti-clotting drugs, also referred to as antiplatelet therapy or anticoagulants – including clopidogrel, known by the brand name Plavix – are often given to heart patients to prevent dangerous vessel-clogging blood clots. But they can cause too much bleeding during surgery, and guidelines suggest that doctors stop treatment with them in the five to seven days before an operation. In the new study, Dr. Dominick Angiolillo of the University of Florida, Jacksonville, and colleagues gave ... Read more

Related support groups: Surgery, Plavix, Clopidogrel, Cardiothoracic Surgery

Obese Women Face Higher Complication Risk After Breast Surgery

Posted 2 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 2 – Obese women who undergo elective breast surgery, such as a breast reduction or reconstruction, are nearly 12 times more likely than non-obese women to have complications following their operation, according to a new study. In light of their findings, Johns Hopkins researchers said that obesity should be taken into account when assessing a patient's surgical risk. After analyzing the insurance claims of about 8,000 women undergoing elective breast surgery over the course of four years, the researchers found that about 30 percent, or 2,400 women, were obese. The investigators compared the procedures and the complications of the obese women with those of the women who were not obese. The results are published in the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Roughly 18 percent of the obese women filed an insurance claim covering a complication from breast ... Read more

Related support groups: Surgery, Obesity

New Technique to Remove Skull Tumors May Mean Less Scarring

Posted 1 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Nov. 1 – A new surgical method that uses a natural opening to remove skull base tumors results in fewer complications, less scarring and faster recovery for patients, according to the surgeons who developed the technique. The natural opening used in this type of procedure is located behind the molars, above the jawbone and beneath the cheekbone. Traditional surgeries to remove skull base tumors require incisions through the face and bone removal. These procedures can be disfiguring, cause nerve damage that results in facial paralysis, and require days or weeks of hospitalization and recovery. The new approach developed by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine surgeons was first performed on a patient last year. Surgery time was reduced from six hours to two hours, the patient was discharged from the hospital the next day and had no visible evidence of the surgery. Since ... Read more

Related support groups: Surgery, Brain Tumor

'LeGoo' Vessel Plug Approved for Vascular Surgery

Posted 4 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Oct. 4 – LeGoo, a gel to stem blood flow temporarily during surgery that requires joining blood vessels, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The product allows surgeons to avoid use of clamps or elastic loops and clearly see where to stitch two vessels together, the agency said in a news release. Injected into a vessel, the gel hardens into a plug that forms to the shape of the vessel, preventing blood flow for up to 15 minutes. The plug is designed to dissolve on its own, but the process can be sped up if the surgeon applies a cold pack or cold saline to the area, the FDA said. LeGoo is approved for vessels 4 millimeters or less in diameter, and shouldn't be used on vessels that deliver blood to the brain, the agency warned. The product is manufactured by PluroMed Inc., based in Woburn, Mass. More information To learn more about this approval, visit ... Read more

Related support groups: Surgery

General Anesthesia Does Not Boost Cancer Risk, Study Finds

Posted 3 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Oct. 3 – Among patients given general anesthesia for surgery, the length or depth of sedation was not linked to an increased risk of developing cancer within five years of the operation, Swedish researchers report. "Neither duration of anesthesia nor increased cumulative time with profound sevoflurane anesthesia was associated with an increased risk for new malignant disease within five years after surgery in previously cancer-free patients," study author Maj-Lis Lindholm, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, concluded in a news release from the International Anesthesia Research Society. In conducting the study, researchers looked at data on almost 3,000 cancer-free Swedish surgical patients who were given sevoflurane – one of the most widely used inhaled anesthetics. The news release said other studies have raised the theory that anesthesia might reduce immune responses ... Read more

Could Surgery, Anesthesia While Very Young Hamper Kids' Development?

Posted 3 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Oct. 3 – Children younger than 2 who undergo multiple surgeries requiring general anesthesia may be up to three times more likely than other children to develop speech and language problems as they grow up, a new study suggests. However, experts cautioned that the finding appears to be restricted to very small children who require more than one surgery. "A single exposure to anesthesia in surgery has not been shown to be problem, so parents can be reassured that this is not likely to cause any problems," said study author Dr. Randall Flick, an associate professor of anesthesiology and pediatrics at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "For children who have or will have repeated exposures to anesthesia, it's important that those families have a conversation with the surgeon and anesthesiologist to determine the risks and benefits in a broad context." The new findings are ... Read more

Cotton Swabs Help Prevent Surgical Site Infections: Study

Posted 30 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, June 30 – Cotton swabs offer a cheap, effective way of reducing surgical site infections, according to researchers. Daily use of dry cotton swabs to gently probe the incision sites of patients who'd undergone appendectomy dramatically reduced surgical site infections, the study revealed. Only 3 percent of patients who underwent the daily routine developed infections, compared with 19 percent of patients in a control group whose incision sites were swabbed with iodine. Patients in the cotton swab group also had less postoperative pain, much shorter hospital stays (five versus seven days), and better cosmetic healing of their incisions, according to the study published in a recent issue of the Archives of Surgery. The researchers believe that using cotton swabs to probe the incision site enables contaminated fluid trapped within soft tissues to drain. This may reduce the amount ... Read more

Related support groups: Surgery, Bacterial Infection

Hypnosis Plus Local Anesthesia Might Work Well for Some Surgeries

Posted 14 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, June 14 – Certain surgeries that typically require the use of general anesthesia could be safely performed with localized anesthesia in combination with hypnosis, Belgian researchers suggest. The finding stems from a pair of very small case-control studies that explored the combo's potential during surgical procedures performed for breast cancer patients and thyroid patients, respectively. The studies revealed that, relative to general anesthesia, the local anesthesia/hypnosis approach sped up the healing process, reduced the need for post-surgery opioid drugs and reduced hospitalization time. "There is still a lot of debate around the exact mechanism that allows hypnosis to reduce pain perception," said study author and professor Fabienne Roelants in a European Anaesthesiology Congress news release, "but what is absolutely clear is that it does so." She and her colleague ... Read more

Weight-Loss Surgery Linked to Rise in Fracture Risk

Posted 5 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com

SATURDAY, June 4 – The risk of fractures after weight-loss surgery may be even higher than previously thought, a new study suggests. Prior research has shown that people who undergo surgery to lose weight, such as gastric bypass, have an increased risk for bone fractures. One study, for example, showed a 1.8-fold increased risk of fracture compared to the general population. But further analysis showed the risk was actually closer to 2.3 times greater, according to the study to be presented Saturday at the Endocrine's Society's annual meeting in Boston. Researchers noted the odds of breaking the feet or hands are even higher – about three times higher than normal. "A negative effect on bone health that may increase the risk of fractures is an important consideration for people considering bariatric surgery and those who have undergone bariatric surgery," said study author Kelly ... Read more

Related support groups: Surgery, Obesity, Prevention of Fractures

Noisy ORs Linked to Raised Risk of Surgical Site Infection

Posted 2 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, June 2 – Noisy operating rooms appear to put patients at greater risk for surgical site infections, new study findings suggest. In the report, published in the July issue of the British Journal of Surgery, the Swiss researchers also said these surgical site infections, or SSIs, are associated with longer, more costly hospital stays. "SSIs lead to patients spending up to 13 days longer in hospital, making their stay cost up to three times as much," Dr. Guido Beldi, staff surgeon and research group leader, from the department of visceral surgery and medicine at Berne University Hospital, said in a journal news release. Beldi's team examined 35 patients who underwent planned, major abdominal surgery, taking into account demographic parameters, the length of their surgery and the level of noise in the operating room. Six of the patients developed surgical site infections, but the ... Read more

Related support groups: Surgery

High-Risk Surgeries Getting Safer: Study

Posted 1 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, June 1 – Undergoing an operation can be scary, but University of Michigan researchers offer some reassuring news: Deaths among those having high-risk surgery have fallen substantially in recent years. Much of this is due to many high-risk cancer operations being done in hospitals that do a lot of them and to overall better compliance with safety guidelines, the researchers noted. "Overall, surgery in the United States is getting safer," said lead researcher Dr. Jonathan F. Finks, an assistant professor of surgery at University of Michigan Health Systems. "However, there is still room for improvement. Our focus should be on strategies that improve outcomes across all procedures." The report is published in the June 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. For the study, Finks and colleagues used Medicare data to look at cancer and cardiac surgeries among an older ... Read more

Related support groups: Surgery

Plastic Surgery Risks May Depend on More Than Age

Posted 1 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, June 1 – Age alone should not be the sole determining factor when deciding whether an older person should have plastic surgery, a new study suggests. In following 216 women over the course of three years, researchers from the Cleveland Clinic found that, if screened properly, people who have facelifts after age 65 are at no greater risk for complications than those who are younger. More than 12 percent of the U.S. population is older than 65, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and many of them have plastic surgery every year. "Facelift surgery in the elderly has always been perceived to carry more post-operative risk," Dr. James Zins, chairman of plastic surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, said in a news release from the clinic. "According to our study and pre-operative screenings, patients over 65 had no statistically significant increase in ... Read more

Related support groups: Surgery

No Complications From Quitting Smoking as Surgery Nears: Study

Posted 14 Mar 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 14 – Quitting smoking eight weeks or less before surgery doesn't increase a patient's risk of postoperative complications, say British researchers who reviewed nine previous studies. "Cigarette smoking has been implicated as a risk factor for postoperative complications across a spectrum of surgical specialties," according to background information with the study. "Compared with nonsmokers, smokers who undergo surgery have longer hospital stays, higher risk of readmission, are more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit, and have an increased risk of in-hospital mortality." The researchers also noted that existing evidence does not offer clear guidance on when it's best to quit smoking before surgery. "When all nine studies are combined, there is no beneficial or detrimental effect of quitting within eight weeks before surgery compared with continue smoking," ... Read more

Related support groups: Surgery, Smoking, Smoking Cessation

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Surgical Prophylaxis, Ophthalmic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Head & Neck Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Postoperative Albumin Loss, Vascular Surgery, Genitourinary Surgical and Other Conditions, Biliary Tract Surgery