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Surgery News
U.S. Military Surgeons Helped More Than 6,000 Afghan Adults
Posted 9 days ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 13, 2017 – In addition to their regular duties caring for U.S. armed forces in the region, American military surgeons provided humanitarian care to nearly 6,000 Afghan adult civilians over 11 years, a new study reports. Between January 2002 and March 2013, more than 9,400 surgical procedures were performed on 5,786 local civilians ages 15 and older at U.S. military treatment facilities in Afghanistan. About 3,300 of the operations were considered essential surgical procedures for developing countries, as defined by the World Health Organization's Disease Control Priorities. There were similar rates of war-related and non-war-related surgeries. The most common operations involved broken bones and soft tissue and nervous system problems. The study was published Sept. 13 in the journal JAMA Surgery. Dr. Peter Learn is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force and a department head ... Read more
Related support groups: Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Surgical Prophylaxis
Surgeons Play Big Role in Women's Choices for Breast Cancer Care
Posted 9 days ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 13, 2017 – A breast cancer patient's choice of surgeon can have a major effect on her treatment, according to a new study. That's because surgeons have a strong influence on whether early stage cancer patients have both breasts removed even when cancer is found in only one breast – a procedure called contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM). Researchers surveyed more than 3,300 women with early stage breast cancer and 349 surgeons who treated them. About 16 percent of the patients had both breasts removed. Only 4 percent of those whose surgeons heavily favored breast-saving surgery and were most reluctant to remove both breasts had the procedure. That compared to 34 percent of patients whose surgeons were most willing to do the surgery, the study found. "That difference is huge. Even for a procedure that is very patient-driven, we see that surgeons account for a ... Read more
Related support groups: Surgery, Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Breast Cancer - Adjuvant, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Breast Cancer - Palliative, Surgical Prophylaxis
Immune-Focused Drug, Opdivo, May Be New Weapon Against Advanced Melanoma
Posted 11 days ago by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Sept. 11, 2017 – New research suggests that Opdivo – a drug that works with the immune system to fight melanoma – is more effective than the current standard of care for patients who've had surgery to remove advanced tumors. The international study was funded by Opdivo's maker, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and included more than 900 patients with stage III and stage IV melanoma. Patients were treated at 130 medical centers across 25 countries. All underwent surgery for their cancer before they began treatment with either Opdivo (nivolumab) or Yervoy (ipilimumab), the drug that's the current standard of care. Both drugs are "immunotherapies," which work by boosting the immune system's ability to spot and destroy tumor cells. After a year of treatment, 71 percent of patients in the Opdivo group were alive without any recurrence of the disease, compared with 61 percent of those treated ... Read more
Related support groups: Surgery, Melanoma, Skin Cancer, Opdivo, Melanoma - Metastatic
Many Americans Getting Medical Care They Don't Need
Posted 16 days ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 6, 2017 – Unnecessary medical care is common in the United States, and a fear of malpractice seems to be a main driver for ordering unneeded tests and treatments, a new survey finds. Other factors include patient demand and doctors' desire to boost profits, the researchers said. "Unnecessary medical care is a leading driver of the higher health insurance premiums affecting every American," said study senior author Dr. Martin Makary, professor of surgery and health policy at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. Unneeded medical care accounts for the largest chunk of wasted health care resources and costs in the United States and leads to about $210 billion in extra spending each year, according to the National Academy of Medicine. The researchers surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. doctors in a wide variety of specialties and found that most believed 15 ... Read more
Related support groups: Surgery, Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Risk Reduction, Surgical Prophylaxis, Diagnosis and Investigation
Looking for a Plastic Surgeon on Instagram? Beware
Posted 30 Aug 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 30, 2017 – If you're searching Instagram using hashtags for a good #plasticsurgeon, you may end up with a #plasticsurgerydisaster performed by a hair stylist, a barber or an ER doc offering cosmetic surgery on the side. More than four of five top Instagram posts with plastic surgery-related hashtags come from providers who aren't eligible for membership in the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the premier professional organization for cosmetic surgery, a new study found. About 26 percent of top Instagram posts about plastic surgery come from physicians in other specialties, such as gynecologists, dermatologists, general surgeons, family doctors, ear-nose-throat doctors, and – in one case – an ER doc, researchers found. Even though they were not specially trained in plastic surgery, all these physicians marketed themselves as "cosmetic surgeons," the ... Read more
Related support groups: Surgery, Facial Wrinkles, Facial Lipoatrophy, Orbicularis Oculi, Lip Augmentation
Obesity Slows Recovery for Heart Surgery Patients: Study
Posted 10 Aug 2017 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Aug. 10, 2017 – Obese heart surgery patients spend more time in intensive care and take longer to recover than those who aren't obese, a new Canadian study finds. Researchers examined data from nearly 5,400 patients who had heart surgery at the New Brunswick Heart Center between January 2006 and December 2013. Of those, 36 percent were obese. After heart surgery, obese patients were four times more likely to need extra time in the ICU; three times more likely to need extra time on mechanical ventilation; and three times more likely to be readmitted to the ICU, the study showed. Obese patients also had longer overall hospital stays and were more likely to be discharged with home care. It all adds up to more labor-intensive and costly care for these patients, according to the researchers. The study was published online Aug. 10 in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. "Obesity is a ... Read more
Related support groups: Surgery, Obesity, Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Risk Reduction, Surgical Prophylaxis, Cardiovascular Conditions and Disorders, Cardiothoracic Surgery
Most People Not Bargain Hunters When It Comes to Health Care
Posted 7 Aug 2017 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Aug. 7, 2017 – New research challenges the idea that allowing Americans to price shop for health care services could help slow rising health care costs. "The idea is that if you give consumers good information about prices – and make sure they have 'skin in the game' through high deductibles or co-pays – they will choose lower-priced providers and services, and market forces will drive spending and prices down," said Dr. Ateev Mehrotra, a health care economist and physician at Harvard Medical School. "That's the theory. We wanted to see how it works in reality. Turns out, reality is a bit more complicated than that," Mehrotra added in a school news release. The researchers looked at Americans' attitudes about comparison shopping for health care services. In a national survey of 3,000 people who had recent out-of-pocket health expenses, the researchers found only 13 percent of ... Read more
Related support groups: Surgery, Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Risk Reduction
2 of 3 U.S. Patients Keep Unused Painkillers After Surgery
Posted 2 Aug 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 2, 2017 – Surgery patients are usually prescribed opioids to ease postoperative pain, but more than two-thirds end up with leftover narcotics and don't get rid of them, according to a new report. Moreover, most patients who have the extra opioid pills don't lock them away, but leave them accessible to possible abuse by others, the researchers said. "We were surprised to find that the number was as high as it was," said lead researcher Dr. Mark Bicket. He is an assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. "It's likely that we – as physicians who care for patients with pain after surgery – need to do a better job of educating patients about how to take pain medication, how to store that medication and what to do with it once they're done with the medication," Bicket added. Saving unneeded ... Read more
Related support groups: Pain, Suboxone, Oxycodone, Surgery, Back Pain, Hydrocodone, Tramadol, Percocet, Methadone, OxyContin, Vicodin, Norco, Fentanyl, Opiate Dependence, Morphine, Codeine, Lortab, Opana, Subutex, Dilaudid
FDA Medwatch Alert: Sterile Drug Products by Cantrell Drug Company: Recall - Lack of Sterility Assurance
Posted 26 Jul 2017 by Drugs.com
[Posted 07/25/2017] ISSUE: Cantrell Drug Company is voluntarily recalling all lots of unexpired sterile drug products to the hospital and user level due to lack of sterility assurance. The recalled products were distributed to health care facilities nationwide, except to the states of Connecticut, Hawaii, South Carolina and Vermont. Administration of a drug product intended to be sterile that is not sterile could result in serious infections that may be life-threatening. BACKGROUND: The affected products include all lots distributed February 16, 2017, to July 19, 2017, remaining within expiry, and they would be packaged in a syringe or IV bag. Administration of a drug product intended to be sterile that is not sterile could result in serious infections that may be life-threatening RECOMMENDATION: Cantrell Drug Company is notifying its customers by email and phone, and is arranging for t ... Read more
Related support groups: Surgery
'Nipple-Sparing' Mastectomies Don't Raise Odds of Cancer's Return: Study
Posted 19 Jul 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, July 19, 2017 – Surgeons performing mastectomies can offer a form of the procedure that allows women to retain the nipple for use in breast reconstruction. Now, a reassuring study finds that this type of mastectomy doesn't raise a woman's risk for breast cancer recurrence. "More women are requesting nipple-sparing mastectomy because of the superior cosmetic results. But doctors don't want to take any chances with breast cancer patients' safety for the sake of cosmetic improvement," explained lead researcher Dr. Barbara Smith. She's a surgical oncologist and director of the breast program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "Our study, which has one of the longest reported follow-ups after therapeutic nipple-sparing mastectomy in the United States, provides additional support that it's safe to leave the nipple intact during mastectomy with only a few exceptions," she ... Read more
Related support groups: Surgery, Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer - Adjuvant, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Surgical Prophylaxis, Breast Cancer - Male, Osteolytic Bone Metastases of Breast Cancer
'Observation' Best Option for Most Low-Risk Prostate Cancer
Posted 13 Jul 2017 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, July 13, 2017 – Men with early stage prostate cancer who have surgery to remove their tumor do not live longer than those who receive no treatment at all, a long-running clinical trial has concluded. At the same time, nearly one in three men who had the surgery wound up with long-term complications, such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction, said lead researcher Dr. Timothy Wilt. He is a clinical investigator with the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Based on these findings, cancer experts should revise clinical guidelines so most men with low-risk prostate cancer receive no treatment, Wilt said. Instead, doctors should simply track the progress of their patient's slow-growing cancer by asking about signs and symptoms of disease progression. "Our results demonstrate that for the large majority of men with localized prostate cancer, selecting ... Read more
Related support groups: Surgery, Prostate Cancer, Diagnosis and Investigation, Genitourinary Surgical and Other Conditions
JFK's Long, Silent Struggle With Back Pain
Posted 11 Jul 2017 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, July 11, 2017 – Contrary to his youthful, vibrant public image, former President John F. Kennedy privately battled chronic, debilitating back pain much of his life. A new report chronicles JFK's pain issues and the many treatments he received throughout the years. The report includes private details – from multiple failed spinal surgeries and narcotic injections, to use of a back brace that some believe may have played a role in his death. "He went through the wringer visiting different surgeons and physicians and experts in their field – well-known people," said study co-author Dr. Justin Dowdy. He is a neurosurgeon and partner at Hot Springs Neurosurgery Clinic in Arkansas. While Kennedy's care would be different today due to advances in surgery and imaging technology, Dowdy doesn't see reason to second-guess clinicians' recommendations at the time. "They did the best they ... Read more
Related support groups: Pain, Suboxone, Surgery, Back Pain, Percocet, Vicodin, Norco, Lortab, Chronic Pain, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Meloxicam, Sciatica, Advil, Diclofenac, Voltaren, Aleve, Mobic, Motrin, Herniated Disc
Trump Taps Indiana's Health Commissioner as Next Surgeon General
Posted 30 Jun 2017 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, June 30, 2017 – Dr. Jerome Adams, Indiana's Health Commissioner and an advocate for needle-exchange programs with a tough stance on the opioid crisis, has been nominated by President Donald Trump to be the next U.S. surgeon general. Leaders in health and medicine applauded the nomination. "From everything I've seen, Dr. Adams is a very serious and capable physician and public health official," said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, an official at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during the Obama era. Sharfstein said that a state health officer typically works outside of politics. "This is an opportunity to speak to the problems as they are, and not as they are viewed through an ideological prism," he told The New York Times. "Dr. Adams has a proven track record to make public health a priority despite political hurdles," echoed Charles Rothberg, president of the Medical Society of ... Read more
Related support groups: Surgery, Opiate Dependence, Drug Dependence
New Microscope Scans Breast Tumors During Surgery
Posted 28 Jun 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, June 28, 2017 – A new microscope could help surgeons remove breast tumors completely, reducing the number of women who must undergo repeat surgeries to remove cancer cells that were missed the first time. The microscope, developed by scientists and engineers at the University of Washington, effectively scans tumors and examines cells in three dimensions in under 30 minutes, researchers report. "Pathologists are currently very limited in how much they can look at on a glass slide," study co-author Adam Glaser, a postdoctoral fellow in the UW Molecular Biophotonics Laboratory, said in a university news release. "If we can give them three-dimensional data, we can give them more information to help improve the accuracy of a patient's diagnosis." When removing a breast tumor, known as a lumpectomy, surgeons attempt to remove the cancer but spare as much healthy tissue as ... Read more
Related support groups: Surgery, Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer - Adjuvant, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Breast Cancer - Palliative, Surgical Prophylaxis
FDA Medwatch Alert: Potassium Phosphate and Succinylcholine Chloride by PharMEDium Services: Recall - Lack of Sterility Assurance
Posted 27 Jun 2017 by Drugs.com
[Posted 06/27/2017] ISSUE: PharMEDium Services is conducting a limited, voluntary recall due to Hospira Inc.’s (“Hospira”) June 15, 2017 recall announcement that microbial growth was detected during a routine simulation of the manufacturing process and therefore there was a lack of sterility assurance. The products being recalled by PharMEDium Services were compounded using certain Hospira products. The recalled products are specific lots of Potassium Phosphate and Succinylcholine Chloride. This is a secondary recall based on a Hospira's recent recall: https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm563383.htm. Per Hospira, in the event that impacted product is administered to a patient, there is a reasonable probability that the patient may experience adverse events ranging from fever, chills and malaise, to severe adverse events including systemic invasive mycoses or systemic bacterial sepsis. ... Read more
Related support groups: Surgery, Succinylcholine, Quelicin, Anectine, Neutra-Phos-K, Potassium Phosphate, Quelicin Chloride, Anectine Flo-Pack
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Surgical Prophylaxis, Ophthalmic Surgery, Head & Neck Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Postoperative Albumin Loss, Genitourinary Surgical and Other Conditions, Biliary Tract Surgery, Extracorporeal Perfusion
