Surgery

University of Toronto researchers have found a novel role for a cell membrane-anchored mediator in cancer pain. They suggest that the serine protease TMPRSS2-a gene previously shown to play a key role in some of the most aggressive forms of androgen-fuelled cancers-appears to be the trigger behind the most severe forms of cancer pain.

While there have been some concerns raised about computer assisted propofol sedation studies have shown it to be a safe and effective method when conducted by properly trained healthcare professionals. Work is also being done to ensure better results in the future.

According to research done on computer assisted propofol sedation patients see a faster recovery time by approximately 6 minutes on average. This can help not only the patients to leave the recovery area faster, but can also put less of a burden on the staff and location of their endoscopic procedure.

When undergoing endoscopic procedures it is important that patients receive the proper pain medication. A recent study looked at whether a computer can assist in the process to keep the patients comfortable allow them to continue on their day after the procedure.

Implanting an electrical stimulating device to help patients with gastroparesis is less successful when patients also suffer from depression, anxiety, or other mental health problems, a Texas team reports.

Patients with gastroparesis may be helped with a combination of gastric electrical stimulation and surgery to widen the pylorus, a Texas team reports.

The FDA says the investigational drug combination of daclatasvir (Daklinza/ Bristol-Myers Squibb) and sofosbuvir (Sovaldi/Gilead ) may now be given to patients who have hepatitis C infections with either advanced cirrhosis or infections that have come back after patients received a liver transplant.

A recent study found that while most insurers are paying for the new hepatitis C antivirals, disparities exist. More than 20% of patients at the hospital studied who had private insurance were refused their prescriptions for sofosbuvir with simeprevir, the researchers found.

Reducing unnecessary lab tests in the intensive care unit is possible, a team of researchers from New York reported at the 2015 American Thoracic Society meeting in Denver, CO.

Historically, surgical times were tracked to help operating suite managers schedule operating rooms. For the last 25 years or so, quality managers have watched surgical times with respect to patient outcomes. They've come to a growing realization that faster is not always better and slower may not represent careful, deliberate technique.

Children who get lung transplants face a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease. New research looks at risk assessment and prevention.

A Chicago team surveyed medical residents and found harrowing tales of mishaps and near-misses due to botched handoffs when patients are stepped down from ICU care.

Holding family meetings when patients are in intensive care can benefit patients, family, and caregivers. A research team reports on the electronic templates it is developing to keep records of what happens in those meetings.

Critically ill patients benefit from sleep, but noise levels in intensive care units may interfere, a study from the Universitgy of Iowa shows.

Cases of prescription opioid misuse, abuse, and addiction are still on the rise, claiming thousands of lives each year.

The addition of a mitral valve repair to patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation is still a source of controversy. Recent guidelines state that concomitant mitral valve repair at the time of CABG may be beneficial, but the evidence is inconclusive.

The primary objectives of treating acute ischemic stroke are to prevent death and limit functional disability. Similar to acute myocardial infarction (AMI), timely reperfusion using systemic thrombolysis has been shown to improve outcome of acute stroke, namely functional neurologic recovery, but not mortality. But unlike AMI, the role of intra-arterial or endovascular therapy in acute stroke has not been clearly established.

When people think of issues affecting the tonsils most think about children having their tonsils out. For those who did not have the procedure in their youth, there may be more problems waiting for them down the road.

For more than a decade, it has been an annual ritual to read headlines about a crisis brewing in Congress as it struggled to avert a looming Medicare disaster stemming from the imminent pay cut to Medicare physicians mandated by the "SGR". Like a broken record each time, spurred by warnings of physician groups of the dire consequences the slash in Medicare fees would have on medical practices and Medicare patients, Congress scrambled at the 12th hour to put off the mandated cuts for another year.

When heart patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation do not respond to antiarrhythmic medications, physicians may turn to percutaneous catheter ablation. The unanswered treatment question has been how extensive that ablation should be. A new study indicates several techniques achieve the same results.

With several new antivirals for hepatitis C infection available and more in the pipeline, the need for liver transplantation could drop, making more donor organs available for those who do need them, a Philadelphia team reports.

There have been demonstrated benefits to implementing antimicrobial stewardship programs in medical facilities of all sizes. While they have become more popular, there are several factors that need to be considered before making that move.

Antimicrobial stewardship programs are becoming more popular across the country, particularly in larger facilities. A recent push has worked to extend that effort into small hospitals and outpatient facilities as well.

When a patient goes to see their primary care physician they often do so with the hopes of getting the care they need with their doctor. Whether they need to be seen by a specialist is often a more subjective decision by their healthcare provider.

When doctors are considering medications to prescribe to patients there are several factors they need to consider, not the least of which is cost.

What factors make a plastic surgeon successful? That was the research question asked by a team of researchers, and answered by an analysis of a survey sent to members of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons. The results, published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, provide insight that could help select the best candidates for careers in plastic surgery.

Approximately 1 in 6 patients suffering from gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are likely to develop malignant cancers before or after diagnosis, according to the inaugural population-based study recently conducted by researchers at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Cell phones may offer more than just a way to connect to people around the world. A study from researchers at Cornell University has linked use of the technology to pain reduction.

A recent study looked specifically at patients on Medicare who require surgery for their melanoma and their wait time before going under the knife.

The opioid epidemic began nearly 30 years ago and since that time small steps have been taken to reverse its effects. The question remains whether too much damage has already been done to fix the problems in a timely manner.