Surgery Archives

Cosmetic plastic surgery procedures rising in US

13.8 Million Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Procedures Performed in 2011 – 5 Percent Increase Leads to Second Consecutive Yearly Gain – In US, the plastic surgery market continues to show significant growth – two years in a row. 13.8 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures (both surgical and minimally-invasive) were performed in the United States in 2011, up 5 percent since 2010. In addition, 5.5 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed last year, up 5 percent.

Additional breast surgery common after partial mastectomy

Study finds substantial variability in rate of additional surgery after partial mastectomy – Nearly one in four women who undergo a partial mastectomy for treatment of breast cancer have another surgery to remove additional tissue (reexcision), and there is substantial surgeon and institutional variation in the rate of reexcisions that cannot be explained by patients’ clinical characteristics.

Erivedge approved for skin cancer metastatic basal cell carcinoma

FDA approves new treatment for most common type of skin cancer – Erivedge or vismodegib was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adult patients with basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer. The Erivedge drug is intended for use in patients with locally advanced basal cell cancer who are not candidates for surgery or radiation and for patients whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic).

New lung cancer test could accurately guide treatment for people with lung cancer

New lung cancer test predicts survival — Clinical studies in US and China show molecular test could more accurately guide treatment for people with lung cancer – In the two largest clinical studies ever conducted on the molecular genetics of lung cancer, an international team led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has demonstrated that an available molecular test can predict the likelihood of death from early-stage lung cancer more accurately than conventional methods.

Surgeons age linked to safe health care

Surgeons aged between 35 and 50 provide the safest care – Surgeons aged between 35 and 50 years provide the safest care compared with their younger or older colleagues. The findings raise concerns about ongoing training and motivation of surgeons during their careers.

Bariatric surgery reduces heart attack and stroke in obese

Bariatric surgery associated with reduction in cardiovascular events and death – Among obese individuals, having bariatric surgery was associated with a reduced long-term incidence of cardiovascular deaths and events such as heart attack and stroke, revealed by researchers.

Breast cancer vaccine reduces tumours in mice

Scientists develop vaccine that attacks breast cancer in mice — Implications for the treatment of ovarian, colorectal and pancreatic cancer, as well – Researchers have developed a vaccine that dramatically reduces tumors in a mouse model that mimics 90 percent of human breast and pancreatic cancer cases-including those that are resistant to common treatments.

Thin underweight people with lower BMI may have higher post surgical risk

Body mass index associated with short-term mortality rates following surgery – Body Mass Index (BMI) appears to be associated with 30-day mortality risk following surgical procedures, and patients with a BMI of less than 23.1 appear to be at highest risk of death.

1 in 5 Americans has hearing loss, US

1 in 5 Americans has hearing loss — New nationally representative estimate shows wide scope of problem of loss of hearing – 20% of Americans over the age of 12 experience hearing loss in at least one ear. Nearly a fifth of all Americans 12 years or older have hearing loss so severe that it may make communication difficult, according to a new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers and published in the Nov. 14 Archives of Internal Medicine.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement TAVR shows superiority in heart patients

Quality of life benefits of transcatheter aortic valve replacement, cost effectiveness analysis demonstrates continued superiority over standard therapy – A two-year study of patients in the landmark PARTNER trial, which compared transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients who have severe aortic stenosis and are not candidates for open heart surgery, confirm the one-year findings and support the role of TAVR as the standard of care.

7% breast cancer patients have breast reconstruction surgery

Most breast cancer patients do not have breast reconstruction surgery – Breast reconstruction surgery has a very positive effort on women with breast cancer as they go through their breast cancer journey. Only 7% of female breast cancer patients opt for breast reconstruction surgery.

Tanning bed ban for minors under 18 in California US

Tanning bed ban for minors under 18 in California US – Teens and owners object to tanning-bed ban – California toughens teen tanning laws – California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr., signed groundbreaking legislation today that will prohibit the use of commercial indoor tanning devices for those under the age of 18. California is the first state to ban minors from using commercial tanning booths.