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New non-invasive procedures may help in reducing localized fat safely and effectively

For many people, diet and exercise help keep them looking and feeling healthy. But even those who work hard on staying in shape might have a hard time shaking stubborn love handles or lower belly fat, which can bulge through clothing like a neon sign. While the market for getting rid of unwanted fat has grown over the years to include stomach stapling and behavioral techniques, there is still a demand for procedures that can reduce areas of localized fat safely and effectively.

11 Nov 2009

Minimally invasive surgical techniques as effective as traditional open surgery in treating rectal cancers

Laparoscopic surgery has been used in the treatment of intestinal disorders for close to 20 years, but its benefits have only recently begun to be extended to people with rectal cancer. In a prospective study of 103 patients who underwent straightforward or "hand-assisted" laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer, a team of colon and rectal surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center has shown that the minimally invasive approach can be as effective as traditional open surgery in treating rectal cancers.

11 Nov 2009

Robotic surgery for vaginal prolapse reduces patient hospital stay and recovery time

New Mayo Clinic research has found that robotic surgery for vaginal prolapse dramatically reduces patient hospital stay and recovery time. These findings are being presented this week at the North Central Section of the American Urological Association in Scottsdale, Ariz.

10 Nov 2009

Covidien contraindicates use of its Optimark gadoversetamide injection

Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, today announced that it will voluntarily contraindicate the use of its Optimark™ gadoversetamide injection, a gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA), in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures involving patients with severe renal impairment.

9 Nov 2009

Swedish study: Chances of having a baby increases over three cycles

Just one in three women gives birth after a single IVF attempt, but the cumulative chance of a live birth increases with each cycle - where women are offered three cycles nearly two thirds go on to have babies, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

9 Nov 2009

Webinar: Latest updates on percutaneous and transcatheter treatment of liver, kidney and lung tumor ablation

Registration is now open for the Society of Interventional Radiology's "Image-guided Interventional Oncology (IO) Therapies" Webinar, which will provide the latest updates on percutaneous and transcatheter treatment of liver tumors, kidney tumor ablation and lung tumor ablation.

7 Nov 2009

Increased use of CAS procedures to treat carotid stenosis associated with adverse clinical outcomes

Among eligible Medicare beneficiaries, increased use of carotid arterial stenting (CAS) procedures to treat carotid stenosis-the narrowing of the carotid artery-is associated with higher rates of mortality and adverse clinical outcomes, including heart attack and stroke, according to researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

7 Nov 2009

New breast reconstruction surgery for women

Since her teens, Jennifer Jablon had watched family members deal with breast cancer during their 40s, 50s, and 60s. She wondered whether it would be her fate too.

6 Nov 2009

CABG completed "off-pump" has no advantages in patient outcomes: Study

A study of 2,203 cardiac surgery patients from Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers nationwide revealed that coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) completed "off-pump," meaning without a heart-lung machine, had no advantages in patient outcomes compared to the traditional "on-pump" procedure.

6 Nov 2009

Short, intensive radiation therapy offers similar results as conventional therapy for early stage-breast cancers

According to a study presented November 4, 2009, at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), a shortened, more intensive course of radiation given to the whole breast, along with an extra dose of radiation given to the surgical bed of the tumor (concomitant boost), has been shown to result in excellent local control at a median follow up of two years after treatment with no significant sides effects.

5 Nov 2009

Lung transplant ordeal

After doctors told her that John, her gravely ill husband of 29 years, was too high of a risk for a lung transplant, Ann Lograsso lay next to him in his hospital bed and together the pair wept.

4 Nov 2009

Can abdominal organs be removed with only regional pain relief?

A recent review in Faculty of 1000 Medicine Reports, a publication in which clinicians highlight advances in medical practice, suggests regional pain relief could be used during abdominal surgery. In this review, Michael Schaefer recommends a new approach that can be performed without the need for general anaesthetics.

4 Nov 2009

New FDA-approved heart pump for high-risk patients

Cardiologists at the University of Illinois Medical Center are using a new heart pump that can be inserted without the need for surgery and allows them to treat high-risk patients with a procedure to unblock their heart arteries.

4 Nov 2009

Lap band surgery effective for morbidly obese adolescents, improves glucose metabolism

Washington, DC-A surgeon now at Children's National Medical Center and his colleagues from New York University have found laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (Lap band) to improve the health of morbidly obese adolescents.

4 Nov 2009

Early-morning colonoscopies yield more polyps per patient than later screenings

The effectiveness of a screening colonoscopy may depend on the time of day it is performed. According to a new UCLA study, early-morning colonoscopies yielded more polyps per patient than later screenings, and fewer polyps were found hour by hour as the day progressed.

4 Nov 2009

Stereotactic radiosurgery effectively controls pain in patients with cancer

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), a radiation therapy procedure pioneered at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) that precisely delivers a large dose of radiation to tumors, effectively controls pain in patients with cancer that has spread to the spine, according to researchers from UPCI.

4 Nov 2009

Non-invasive treatment is equally effective as surgery for healing the bone, say researchers

When fractured bones fail to heal, a serious complication referred to as "nonunion" can develop. This occurs when the process of bone healing is interrupted or stalled. According to a new study published in the November 2009 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS), certain cases involving nonunions respond very well to shock-wave therapy. Researchers say this non-invasive treatment is equally effective as surgery when it comes to healing the bone.

3 Nov 2009

AAPM Task Group issues new radiation guidelines for brachytherapy

Radiation dose delivered to the prostate and nearby organs in every brachytherapy procedure should be carefully analyzed using post-implant CT or MRI and uniformly documented in every patient, according to a new guideline co-authored by Yan Yu, Ph.D., director of Medical Physics in the department of Radiation Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University.

3 Nov 2009

Stereotactic radiosurgery effective in eliminating Parkinson's disease tremors

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) offers a less invasive way to eliminate tremors caused by Parkinson's disease and essential tremor than deep brain stimulation (DBS) and radiofrequency (RF) treatments, and is as effective, according to a long-term study presented November 2, 2009, at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

3 Nov 2009

First human robot assisted aortic valve replacement to implant the ATS 3f Aortic Bioprosthesis performed

ATS Medical, Inc., manufacturer and marketer of state-of-the-art cardiac surgery products and services, announced the first human robot assisted endoscopic aortic valve replacement using the daVinci® Surgical System from Intuitive Surgical to implant the ATS 3f® Aortic Bioprosthesis. The procedure was performed by Allen Raczkowski, M.D., at Banner Baywood Health Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.

2 Nov 2009

Medical Procedure News

New non-invasive procedures may help in reducing localized fat safely and effectively

Minimally invasive surgical techniques as effective as traditional open surgery in treating rectal cancers

Robotic surgery for vaginal prolapse reduces patient hospital stay and recovery time

Covidien contraindicates use of its Optimark gadoversetamide injection

Swedish study: Chances of having a baby increases over three cycles

Webinar: Latest updates on percutaneous and transcatheter treatment of liver, kidney and lung tumor ablation

Increased use of CAS procedures to treat carotid stenosis associated with adverse clinical outcomes

New breast reconstruction surgery for women

CABG completed "off-pump" has no advantages in patient outcomes: Study

Short, intensive radiation therapy offers similar results as conventional therapy for early stage-breast cancers

Lung transplant ordeal

Can abdominal organs be removed with only regional pain relief?

New FDA-approved heart pump for high-risk patients

Lap band surgery effective for morbidly obese adolescents, improves glucose metabolism

Early-morning colonoscopies yield more polyps per patient than later screenings

Stereotactic radiosurgery effectively controls pain in patients with cancer

Non-invasive treatment is equally effective as surgery for healing the bone, say researchers

AAPM Task Group issues new radiation guidelines for brachytherapy

Stereotactic radiosurgery effective in eliminating Parkinson's disease tremors

First human robot assisted aortic valve replacement to implant the ATS 3f Aortic Bioprosthesis performed

Small solutions for big problems in drug discovery and delivery

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production

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