Surgery

Retrospective analysis of real-world outcomes supports the use of the Amplatzer cardiac plug for left atrial appendage closure in atrial fibrillation patients with a very high risk of stroke or serious bleeds and who cannot tolerate oral anticoagulation.

In the past patients with alcoholic liver disease may not have been considered viable options for liver transplants. A recent study looked at whether an artificial device could help these patients return to a normal quality of life.

Several prior studies have noted that Roux-Y gastric bypass surgery often leaves patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, but new research from Switzerland indicates that different flavors of the procedure expose patients to greatly different risks.

For children born with single ventricle defects every day matters in getting the treatment and operations they need to survive. A new study looked at a commonly known medication which could help get them extra time for their treatment.

Study results suggest that changes in sexual function resulting from surgery to treat ulcerative colitis don't necessarily coincide with changes in sexual satisfaction.

In the past, patients deemed obese (especially those who were morbidly obese) may have been passed over for a life-saving liver transplant. A recent study showed they may be just as viable candidates for the procedure as others in the patient population.

Obese people are generally less healthy than those of normal weight, but that should not be a barrier to liver transplantation, researchers said at the 2015 Liver Meeting (AASLD) in San Francisco, CA.

Donor livers are scarce, donated organs are precious, and transplant surgeons make the final call on whether to transplant. When the question of whether to give a liver to a patient who uses marijuana, drinks too much alcohol, or even smokes tobacco comes up, the issue gets tricky.

When patients have a defibrillator implated they have many concerns about their overall health, including how it affects their sex life. Research has shown the importance of doctors and their patients working together through these issues.

A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent bariatric surgery suggests that significant weight loss significantly lessens the symptoms of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Analyses of patient records indicate that obesity increases the risk of recurrence among patients who undergo ablation for atrial fibrillation but suggest that sustained weight loss can reduce the risk.

New research into the relationship between partial pancreatectomy and the subsequent incidence of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency finds a strong positive correlation between the volume of tissue removed and subsequent complications.

Registering with multiple organ transplant centers may give wealthier patients an edge over less affluent patients who may be more deserving of a transplant.

In preliminary results presented at ObesityWeek, University of Pittsburgh researchers revealed that 3 years after bariatric surgery, the majority of patients experience an improvement in pain and walking ability.

Patients who had bariatric surgery and lost weight were likely to also see improvement in symptoms of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, NYU Langone researchers report.

The Institute of Medicine reported that almost half of surgical suite managers have seen healthcare providers distracted by electronic devices, and more than 5% are aware of an adverse event (including wrong-site surgery) linked to personal use of a mobile device.

According to researchers in Germany, complications and higher recurrence rates are more likely after laparoscopic ventral hernia repair.

Study results show that dutasteride is similar to the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride in its effect on post-operative blood loss in men treated for benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Renal transplant patients often develop anemia (up to 40% are anemic 1 year after transplant) and often, clinicians fail to treat anemia aggressively. Anemia has been correlated with increased hospitalizations and higher mortality

The US Centers for Disease Control indicates more than 30% of healthcare-acquired infections reported by acute care hospitals are urinary tract infections (UTIs), making them the most common healthcare-associated infections.

Many surgeons complain about operating room efficiency. Hospitals can benefit from improving OR efficiency, because most ORs top their list of the most costly divisions. Here are several successful low-cost, low-technology measures to improve efficiency that were implemented at a tertiary-care academic medical center/Level I trauma center.

Malignant hyperthermia is a potentially fatal disorder usually associated with administration of certain general anesthetics and/or succinylcholine. Until 30 years ago, its etiology was unknown. Then, researchers found that people who carry an autosomal dominant calcium channel mutation are at elevated susceptibility.

Although preoperative frailty in older adults is closely linked to postoperative adverse surgical outcomes, little research has been published to guide surgeons when faced with frail patients.

Certain healthcare provider behaviors can threaten team performance and patient safety. As task complexity increases, so do the team's interdisciplinary responsibilities. Medical organizations that take steps to identify troublesome behaviors can help employees correct the problem, thereby fostering teamwork and a culture of safety.

Some experts contend that hiatal hernia-related symptoms improve after weight-loss surgery, making repair of the hiatus unnecessary. Yet, simultaneous repair during bariatric surgery may be more efficient than undergoing separate procedures. A study published in the journal Surgery suggests repair of hiatal hernia during bariatric surgery appears safe and feasible.

Surgeons are more likely than ever to consider resective procedures in infants and young children who have refractory seizure disorders. Many reports describe good outcomes in infants and young children undergoing resective surgery, but longitudinal data have been published only rarely.

Researchers recently studied a cohort of patients who had undergone surgery for back pain to determine if they could identify patient-related factors or patient-reported outcomes could accurately predict dissatisfaction after spinal surgery.

A Pennsylvania hospital has set up a dedicated website and toll-free phone line to quell patients' fears after announcing four heart surgery patients were discovered to have died apparently from bacterially contaminated medical devices.

What do silicone buttock injections have to do with lung tissue inflammation? You might not believe it if it wasn't documented.

It's not unheard of for patients waiting to get lung transplants to suffer from psychiatric symptoms. In fact, it's actually common and the symptoms aren't limited to those who previously had psychiatric conditions.