Editor's Note Intraoperative infusion of dexmedetomidine (DEX) could help improve glycemic control and reduce insulin requirements in diabetic patients undergoing cardiac surgery, according to a July 25 article in Medical Dialogues. The article focuses on a prospective observational study published in the journal Annals of Cardiac Anesthesia. The study included…

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Editor's Note Two new studies show robotic surgery outperforming laparoscopic approaches to metabolic and bariatric procedures in terms of operating times, length of hospital stay, and complication rates, according to a June 11 report in Medical Xpress. Both studies were presented at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery…

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Approximately one in 31 hospital patients has at least one infection on any given day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In surgical settings, the risk is even higher, with up to 7% of patients developing an infection during surgery. These infections can lead to a…

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Editor's Note New data show 10% of deaths from percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a common and minimally invasive procedure to unclog arteries, are preventable. The study appeared in PLOS ONE on March 27. PCI is one of the most common surgical procedures. More than 500,000 Americans undergo the procedure each…

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Editor's Note Popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro could lead to complications in surgical procedures, according to study published March 6 in the journal JAMA Surgery.  The study focused on drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) which are used to treat diabetes and obesity. The drugs, which…

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Editor's Note New research supports fertility preservation with cone biopsy as a viable, less radical option for to surgery in patients with early, low-risk cervical cancer, according to a report published March 18 in MedPage Today. Presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology annual meeting, the findings from the Gynecologic…

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Editor's Note Research shows that Americans who live in areas with a limited number of primary care doctors and nurse practitioners are at a greater risk for emergency surgeries and complications. The findings were published March 4 in the journal Health Affairs.  For the study, researchers looked at Medicare patient…

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Editor's Note Researchers at MIT have developed a new gel called GastroShield to help prevent gastrointestinal bleeding during and after surgery performed during colonoscopy screenings. Advanced Materials published the findings on February 29.  Colonoscopy screenings—undergone by some 20 million Americans each year—often result in doctors finding and removing polyps. These…

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Editor's Note Health complications and hospital readmissions are more likely for Medicare patients living in areas with primary care shortages. The findings, from a cross-sectional retrospective cohort study of data from 2015 to 2019, were published March 4 in Health Affairs. Specifically, the study showed that patients in areas with…

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Editor's Note A medical device developed by researchers at Northwestern University and Washington University School of Medicine could enable clinicians to monitor the health of a patient’s organs following surgery. The findings appeared in the journal Science on March 7.  Patients who undergo gastrointestinal surgeries—including pancreatic surgery—can develop anastomotic leaks…

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