Editor's Note A 53-year-old woman with end-stage kidney failure became the first living person to receive a genetically modified pig kidney in a milestone surgery at NYU Langone Health, NPR reported December 17. Although the experimental procedure marks significant progress toward addressing organ shortages, it also drew commentary on ongoing…

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Editor's Note The Northtowns Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) is set to open on October 24 in Amherst, New York, representing the culmination of a 5-year effort led by Brian McGrath, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, Buffalo Business First October 17 reports. Located within a 160,000-square-foot…

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Editor's Note Boston Children's Hospital uses digital twins of patients' hearts to improve cardiac surgery precision and ensure positive outcomes, according to an October 15 report in The Washington Post. Digital twins—computerized replications of physical objects and systems—enable surgeons to simulate complex procedures on virtual 3D heart models before making…

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Editor's Note MedStar Health announced the first successful all-plastic total ankle replacement surgery, performed at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. According to a September 30 announcement, the 71-year-old patient has a lifelong metal allergy and suffered from advanced joint degeneration in her right ankle, causing significant difficulty in walking. Dr. Paul…

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Editor's Note Spatial computing technology could enhance surgical precision and ergonomics, according to a September 16 announcement published in EurekAlert! The report covers how surgeons at UC San Diego Health are pioneering the use of Apple Vision Pro in the OR to evaluate its potential for displaying medical imaging, vital…

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Editor's Note MedStar Georgetown University Hospital’s Verstandig Pavilion is now home to a moveable MRI system that enables real-time intraoperative imaging, NBC Washington reported September 18. As detailed in the article and accompanying video, MRIs are typically performed the day after surgery, sometimes revealing residual tumor tissue that could have…

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Editor's Note Nearly 20 years of data on the first 50 face transplants in the world indicate that survival rates exceed those of several solid organ transplants, according to a global study published September 18 in Jama Surgery. Conducted between 2005 and 2021, the study involved 18 transplant centers, assessed…

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Editor's Note Surgeons at NYU Langone Health used a da Vinci X robotic system throughout an entire lung transplant procedure for the first time in the US and the third time in the world, DotMed reported September 11. Led by Dr. Stephanie Chang, the surgery offered a fast, minimally invasive…

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Editor's Note Surgeons used a remote control to perform a magnetic endoscopy on a live pig more than 9,300 km (nearly 6,000 miles) away, Medical Xpress reported August 26. According to the article, researchers at ETH Zurich and The Chinese University of Hong Kong collaborated in the procedure, with the…

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Editor's Note Aaron James says he’s “pretty much back to being a normal guy, doing normal things” a year after undergoing the world’s first whole-eye and partial-face transplant at NYU Langone Health, according to a September 9 report from the academic medical center. The transplant restored essential facial functions, and…

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