Surgery

Lipid resuscitation therapy was identified in 1998 as an effective treatment for local anesthetic systemic toxicity. Since then, researchers have developed a better understanding of the risk factors involved and the manner in which lipids work, using both dynamic scavenging and direct cardiotonic effects.

A retrospective review suggests that patients who have cervicofacial rhytidectomy (face lift) after radiotherapy are likely to have increased complication rates over patients who have not had radiotherapy.

Joint arthroplasties, which are becoming quite common as the Baby Boomers age, improve function and relieves pain for most patients. Total knee arthroplasty is expected to grow by nearly 700% in the next few years and primary total hip arthroplasty will increase by nearly 200%.

Researchers have confirmed that bronchoscopy is a good tool for the diagnosis of bronchogenic cysts, and that therapeutic aspiration is an alternative to surgery for adults who are unfit or are reluctant to have surgery; however, transbronchial needle aspiration as a primary method of managing mediastinal bronchogenic cysts may not be the best modality for all patients.

Cystic dilatation of the bile duct (usually called choledochal cyst)-is a rare condition that causes numerous complications, such as chronic pancreatitis, which is the most common cause of exocrine pancreatice insufficiency in adults.

A study that compared geriatric patients with isolated fractures below the hip to those with isolated hip fractures found that lower extremity fractures can be more disabling than hip fractures because they necessitate weight-bearing restrictions.

Researchers continue to look at the age-old question of when to stop treatment with antiplatelet drugs if surgery is necessary. Stopping them too soon increases risk of clotting. Stopping them too late increases risk of excessive blood loss.

Study results show patients with atrial fibrillation who stopped taking warfarin before surgery received no benefit from temporary "bridging" with low-molecular-weight heparin. Patients who received no anticoagulation while off warfarin did not experience significantly more thromboembolic events, but they did experience significantly lower fewer incidents of serious bleeding.

A recent review article provided updated information on classification systems, preventive techniques, pathophysiological mechanisms, and treatment options for postoperative ileus.

A research team from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, set out to identify factors associated with variation in hospital hepatopancreatobiliary surgery charges.

Clinicians often discourage older patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy from pursuing surgery, worrying that lingering pathology, comorbidities, reduced physiological reserves, and age-related spinal cord changes will delay recovery.

Patients who experience traumatic injury in resource-poor and rural settings often fail to receive important accident scene care that would increase the likelihood of good surgical outcomes.

Deep brain stimulation is the most frequently used neurosurgical procedure for movement disorders. Patients generally experience few surgery-related problems, but a range of complications is possible.

Whether they lost an upper or lower extremity on the battlefield, thanks to new technology being developed wounded soldiers can now resume their normal lives and even return to active duty if they so choose.

A first-in-human Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–regulated phase 1 safety study of subcutaneous infiltration of sodium channel blocker Neosaxitoxin (NeoSTX) with bupivacaine produced long-lasting anesthesia but no serious adverse events, according to a study in Anesthesiology.

Spinal cord injury surgeries using olfactory mucosa lamina propria showed improvements in patients at the 3 year follow up mark.

A large retrospective analysis from Canada suggests that dabigatran is about as safe and effective as warfarin in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation.

A new study from Korea indicates that children who undergo pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD, aka the Whipple Procedure) generally avoid problems such as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and lead relatively normal lives.

A study of patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty found that patients with psoriatic arthritis face no greater risk of poor outcomes than patients who get hip replacements because of osteoarthritis.

Obesity is a growing problem around the world and new research has shown that even small amounts of physical exercise can make a big difference in keeping people from gaining too much weight.

Massive weight loss (MWL) provides obvious health benefits, including reducing morbidity and mortality risks, but it brings some medical and psychological challenges as well. MWL patients are often left with excessive amounts of sagging skin, particularly in the thighs, under the arms, around the abdomen, and around the face.

When it comes to lumbar spinal stenosis, the ultimate goal is to provide both pain relief and improved physical function. But a new study found that if patients could only choose one, they would go with pain relief.

Men searching for breast reduction procedures should stick to fat freezing, or cryolipolysis – the safe and effective non-invasive alternative to fat reduction that doesn't damage surrounding tissue.

Congestive heart failure is a serious condition facing people around the world. Early trials of a gene therapy have showed promise to not only help these patients with the condition but also make their hearts healthier.

Using biomaterial scaffold in a spinal cord injury promotes nerve regeneration, according to findings published in the journal Tissue Engineering, Part A.

Study results suggest that closely studying skin's dynamic behavior, including its changing characteristics over time, could yield significant clinical benefits for both dermatologists and surgeons.

With the introduction of two new medications cardiologists have powerful new tools to use in order to help heart failure become an even more manageable condition.

On a daily basis cardiologists face patients with a wide variety of conditions. A review of recent studies show just how far the treatment of many of these conditions have come.

New research into distal pancreatectomies indicates that women and overweight patients have an elevated risk of suffering endocrine function impairment that leads to glucose intolerance and diabetes mellitus.

Left atrial appendage obliteration reduces stroke risk in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, but a new study suggests that the procedure does not reduce stroke risk in atrial fibrillation patients after bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement.