Surgery

Ketamine is not a new tool in the arsenal of pain medication but doctors are finding new ways to use it in order to provide relief for patients. As an infusion ketamine is being used to treat chronic pain syndromes.

In an effort to avoid prescribing opioids except in cases where they are needed doctors are finding new ways to provide relief for their patients. This can include newly developed implantable medications which can help reduce pain and increase quality of life.

When opioids first hit the market they were specifically promoted for their non-addictive traits. Over the past few decades that has been disproven as doctors look for the best way to treat patients and avoid the risk of unwanted addiction and other issues.

As the main treatment in pain medication opioids are widely prescribed for patients who need them. Balancing that with the risk of addiction and abuse is something providers deal with on a regular basis.

Scott Sigman, MD, discusses recent study results that show more people become dependent on prescription drugs following surgery than previously thought – which is why his involvement in the Choices Matter program is so important.

Direct-acting antivirals are curing hepatitis C infection, but that has not stopped the number of deaths from acute on chronic liver failure in patients who develop cirrhosis, a Mayo Clinic team reports.

While the idea of developing vaccines to combat health risks like smoking and drug abuse sounds like a solid theory there are legitimate concerns to be addressed in the process.

For close to two decades researchers have been working to develop vaccines to prevent people from health hazards like smoking and drug use. Despite these efforts work remains to find ways to make these effective for a large number of people at risk.

As one of the most popular movie franchises in history, Star Wars has reached a wide range of people across the globe. Some have seen ways to apply lessons from the movies to help in the diagnosis of mental health patients.

Even after the implantation of a left ventricular assist device there is no guarantee that patients will live much past the procedure. Planning for life after the implant can be as important as the time beforehand.

Recent research from the Duquesne University School of Nursing has shown that a relatively low-intensity intervention delivered in community settings led to significant improvements in diet, activity and general health among participants. This type of intervention approach can play a key role in promoting aging in place and preventing transition to a higher level of care.

The issue of physician assisted suicide can cause people to fervently pick one side or another. For some, their belief is so strong that they are moved to do things they may not have done in their career beforehand.

For many psychiatrists one of their biggest challenges in their daily practice is working to show patients that suicide is not the solution to their problems. Changes in the criteria for physician assisted suicide in Europe which include allowing mental illness as a criteria can fly in the face of that mission.

The issue of physician assisted suicide is one that has been debated both in the medical community and in the general population. Recent law changes by some European countries have brought the issue to the forefront perhaps more than ever before.

There have been great strides made in recent years to help treat patients diagnosed with heart disease. As technology improves and new medications are developed it will be important to ensure they can get to the patients who need them most.

While lifestyle modifications and changes in diet can help prevent heart disease in men and women alike there are some distinct differences when it comes to treating these patients once a diagnosis is made.

As more has been learned over the years about heart disease there is also a greater awareness of the impact it can have on women. Because of this increased awareness a greater effort is underway to help catch these conditions before they become fatal.

In the field of neurosurgery it can seem like each new day is the future. Even still there are goals to achieve that may not be reached until many years down the road.

As women age and enter menopause, there are a number of new health issues they face. One of those possible delicate issues is pain during sex; but a new medication looks to ease this problem.

For many, cardiovascular disease can be seen as mostly an issue facing men. However, work has been done to raise the education of women to help ensure their health as well.

While some people may see high blood pressure as a normal factor in pregnancy and delivery it can actually be a serious problem at the time and down the road.

Researchers recommend all organ transplant patients should undergo total-body screenings for skin cancer.

Recent trials involving promising medications to treat patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction have not produced significant reductions in mortality.

Study results presented at the 2016 Heart Failure Society of America Scientific Meeting show that treatment with omecantiv mecarbil improved cardiac function and quality of life in patients with heart failure.

With many new drug discoveries and medical devices int he field of advanced heart failure, Larry Allen, MD, MHS and his team are working to create patient decision support tools to help them navigate any challenges.

Will our next president be medically fit? And how much is the public entitled to know about candidates’ personal health?

On 9/11/01 Manuel Delgado was a paramedic caring for patients at the base of the south tower. Delgado shares his first hand account of the attack on the building, patient care, survival, and the implications of events of the day on paramedic practice in New York City.

Even while robotic surgery becomes more popular in urology, there are still conditions where open or laparoscopic procedures may still produce the best results, even while newer technology continues to be developed at a rapid pace.

As the field of robotic surgery becomes more specialized the number of locations where the procedures is also showing signs of decreasing. Even as technology continues to improve there are still concerns that not all patients who would benefit have it readily available.

As robotic surgery has become more popular in fields like urology and gynecology questions have been raised about who is most likely to undergo these procedures and why that is the case.