Surgery/Specialties
Harvard researchers create first 3-D printed heart-on-a-chip
Editor's Note Harvard researchers have created the first 3-D printed heart-on-a-chip capable of collecting data on how reliably a heart is beating, and how a heart responds to drugs and toxins, the October 25 Gizmodo reports. The 3-D printed organ is made of synthetic material designed to mimic the structure…
Cost-effectiveness of bariatric surgery in adolescents
Editor's Note In this study, bariatric surgery for obese adolescents was shown to be cost-effective if assessed over a time period of 5 years, but not in shorter time frames. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of bariatric surgery vs no surgery was $155,000 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) when assessed over…
ERAS patients have less pain after total knee replacements
Editor's Note Total knee patients in enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs have less pain and recuperate faster, finds this study presented October 23 at the Anesthesiology 2016 annual meeting. The study, from Rush University Medical Center (Chicago), included 243 total knee patients, who were provided a combination of postoperative…
Experimental nanofiber coating prevents prosthetic joint infections
Editor's Note In a study on mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have shown that a coating made with antibiotic-releasing nanofibers can prevent bacterial infections after total joint surgery. After 14 days, mice that received implants without the antibiotic coating all had bacteria in infected tissue around the joint, and 80% had…
PSH model improves postop outcomes
Editor's Note Implementing the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model resulted in improved patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, and shorter hospital stays in this study presented October 22 at the Anesthesiology 2016 annual meeting. The study included 1,356 patients who had total knee, hip, or shoulder replacements. Half received care under the…
FDA: Class I recall of HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device Pumps
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on October 24 categorized HeartWare Inc’s recall of its HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device Pumps as Class I, the most serious. The recall is because of a design problem with the driveline connector that connects the pump to the external controller and power source.…
New tool predicts ICU readmission for surgical patients
Editor's Note Researchers from the University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, have developed a risk prediction tool, called a “nomogram,” that uses a scoring system to determine a patient’s risk for returning to the surgical ICU within 72 hours after discharge. The study was presented October 20…
Status of surgery mentorship programs in the US
Editor's Note Only half of departments of surgery in the US have established mentorship programs, and most are informal, unstructured, and do not involve all of the key stakeholders, this study finds. Of 155 chairs of departments of surgery surveyed 76 responded, for a 49% response rate. A total of…
Joint Commission awards first Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on October 18 announced that Ohio Specialty Surgical Suites in North Canton, Ohio, is the first ambulatory surgical center to achieve its Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement. The advanced certification focuses on: The continuum of care through all phases of the…
FDA, CDC issue alerts on Stӧckert 3T Heater-Cooler System
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on October 13 updated its Safety Alert on the Stӧckert 3T Heater-Cooler System by LivaNova to provide new information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about Mycobacterium chimaera infections associated with the use of the system in US patients…
Free Daily News
- Study: Longer shifts, understaffing increase nurse sickness absence
- Power loss risks prompt FDA Class 1 recall designation for heart pump accessories
- Therapy dogs ease nurse burnout, boost morale
- Personalized perioperative pain management reduces opioid use
- Study: Colibactin-producing gut bacteria fuel colorectal cancer surge
- Augmented reality gains FDA nod, 10k-case milestone in orthopedics, strides in outpatient surgery
- Smart patient selection anchors DISC’s high-acuity spine ASC model
- Postop opioid prescriptions following outpatient surgery see steep, sustained fall
- Study: Bariatric surgery offers cost, survival benefits for cirrhosis patients
- AI monitoring, remote surgery advance