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08 Feb
New Immunotherapy Shows Promise in Fighting Metastatic Breast Cancer
Half of the breast cancer patients who received an experimental form of immunotherapy showed measurable tumor shrinkage, researchers say.
Health News Results - 271
Arthroscopy: A Viable Treatment Option for Painful Hip Joints
- By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
- May 15, 2022
- Full Page
College basketball player Joey Liedel suffered years of debilitating hip pain that limited his ability to play.
As a freshman at University of Detroit-Mercy, he was in constant discomfort. Eventually, the Erie, Mich., athlete underwent hip surgery and took some time off...
Leftover Opioids After Surgery? Mailed Kits Double Rate of Proper Disposal
- By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
- May 11, 2022
- Full Page
Could giving surgery patients ready-to-use mailed disposal kits for unused opioids lower the risk of abuse...
Having a Hip, Knee Replacement? Some Tips to an Optimal Recovery
- By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
- May 7, 2022
- Full Page
If you're one of the estimated one million Americans having total hip or knee replacement surgery this year, some lifestyle changes might improve your chances of a good outcome, an expert says.
Doctors Devise Safer Alternative to Opioids During, After Surgeries
- Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
- April 28, 2022
- Full Page
It's been slightly more than a year since Jonathan Akindle, 23, underwent weight-loss surgery, and so far, so good.
He is now down 130 pounds, and he was ...
Mesh Plug a New Option for Treating Tricky Aneurysms
- By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
- April 20, 2022
- Full Page
A mesh plug normally used to treat one type of brain aneurysm is also effective when dealing with another type, a new study says.
Aneurysms are bulges in blood vessels that can cause a life-threatening rupture. They typically occur where a blood vessel forks into two bra...
What Works Best for Ruptured Achilles Tendons?
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- April 14, 2022
- Full Page
A ruptured Achilles tendon can reduce a weekend warrior to a limping one. And there's no single right way to treat it.
People who've suffered this common injury may fare just as well with
Lumpectomy as Effective as Mastectomy for Young Women With Breast Cancer
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- April 7, 2022
- Full Page
Breast cancers that arise before age 40 tend to be more aggressive. But young women who undergo "breast-conserving" surgery are just as likely to survive as those who have a mastectomy, a preliminary study finds.
The study involved nearly 600 women under age 40 who were ...
Big Drop Seen in Kids Getting Opioids After Surgery
- Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
- April 4, 2022
- Full Page
Efforts to cut back on risky opioid use for pain after surgery are trickling down to kids.
New research shows that fewer Americans under the age of 18 were prescribed narcotics to treat surgical pain between 2014 and 2017, and these numbers dropped even more rapidly beg...
U.S. Surgeons' Group Is Working to Save Trauma Victims in Ukraine
- Alan Mozes
- April 1, 2022
- Full Page
Images of Ukrainians being carried on stretchers from bombed-out buildings, wounded and bleeding, are heartbreaking, but one American surgeons' group is doing its part to help teach the war-torn country's citizens how to halt
Newer Mesh Slings for Stress Incontinence a Safe, Effective Option for Women: Study
- Amy Norton
- March 31, 2022
- Full Page
For women with frequent urine leakage, a newer and simpler "sling" surgery works as well as the standard version, according to a new clinical trial.
The study involved...
You've Had Foot Surgery: How Long Until You're Active Again?
- Consumer news
- Robert Preidt
- March 25, 2022
- Full Page
Most people who have had major foot surgery are able to return to the activities they enjoy, but it may take a long time, new research suggests.
The study included 82 adult patients who had surgery to correct a form of "
Men Offered Surgery More Often Than Women When Carpal Tunnel Strikes
- Consumer news
- March 24, 2022
- Full Page
Men are more likely than women to be offered surgery to ease carpal tunnel syndrome, but a small new study from one hospital suggests that gender may have nothing to do with the disparity.
Instead, the difference may exist because the condition tends to be more severe i...
Black Patients Less Happy With Care After Knee, Hip Replacement
- Consumer news
- March 24, 2022
- Full Page
Recovering from hip or knee replacement surgery can be tough for anyone, but a new study from one hospital showed that Black patients were less likely than white patients to be satis...
Knee Replacement in Folks Over 80: Less Risky Than You Think
- March 22, 2022
- Full Page
Knee replacement surgery is increasingly common among people over 80 sidelined with knee pain, and the procedure isn't as hazardous for them as often assumed.
That's the main message from a new study of more than 1.7 million seniors who underwent knee replacement surger...
People With Scars Are Their Own Toughest Critics: Study
- March 22, 2022
- Full Page
Scars from facial surgery look worse to skin cancer patients themselves than to others, so it's important for surgeons to prepare patients beforehand, researchers say.
Doctors can help by outlining the healing process and explaining what their scars will look like in the...
When Is It Time for a Knee Replacement?
- March 19, 2022
- Full Page
Knee replacement surgery is one of the most common procedures in the United States, with more than 790,000 performed each year.
Deciding the time for knee replacement needs to b...
Upcoming Surgery Worry You? Poll Says You're Not Alone
- March 9, 2022
- Full Page
Many older Americans have concerns about elective surgery beforehand, but most who go through with it are satisfied with the outcome, a new survey finds.
Blood Test Marker Could Gauge Risks After Heart Surgery
- March 3, 2022
- Full Page
About 2 million adults worldwide undergo heart surgery each year, and checking blood levels of a certain protein could help assess their risk of death within 30 days, a new study shows.
Had Hernia Surgery? You May Need Another
- March 1, 2022
- Full Page
If you've had hernia repair surgery and you think you've solved your medical issue for good, you might be wrong.
A hernia occurs when an internal organ pushes through a weak region of muscle or tissue, often creating a noticeable bulge. Hernias typically do not improve w...
Red Cross Says Blood Shortage Is Worst in a Decade
- Robert Preidt
- February 4, 2022
- Full Page
The American Red Cross is pleading for donors as it grapples with its worst blood shortage in more than a decade.
The shortage poses a risk to patient care because doctors are forced to make decisions about which patients receive blood transfusions and which ones must wa...
Pre-Op Treatment May Be Advance Against Deadly Liver Cancers
- Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
- January 28, 2022
- Full Page
When delivering a liver cancer diagnosis, Dr. Thomas Marron pulls no punches: "Liver cancer is one of the deadliest cancers," he tells patients.
Jeffrey Foster heard a similar message loud and clear when he was first diagnosed by another doctor with hepatocellular carcin...
In a First, a Robot Performs Laparoscopic Surgery on Pig Without Human Help
- Robert Preidt
- January 28, 2022
- Full Page
A robot performed challenging keyhole surgery on pigs without any human help in what could be a major step toward fully automated surgery on people.
"Our findings show that we can automate one of the most intricate and delicate tasks in surgery: the reconnection of two e...
Hospital Defends Decision to Deny Heart Transplant to Unvaccinated Man
- Robert Preidt and Robin Foster
- January 27, 2022
- Full Page
In response to claims that a man was denied a heart transplant because he refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston said Wednesday that its transplant policies mirror those used across the United States.
In a crowdfunding appeal f...
Almost 1 in 10 U.S. Lung Transplants Now Due to COVID
- Robert Preidt
- January 27, 2022
- Full Page
COVID-19 is changing medicine in yet another way: A new study finds that patients with COVID-related lung damage now account for nearly one in 10 lung transplants in the United States.
The researchers analyzed data on more than 3,000 lung transplants nationwide between A...
Are Pins or a Cast Better for a Broken Wrist?
- Robert Preidt
- January 24, 2022
- Full Page
A cast is as good as metal pins for treating a broken wrist, researchers report.
A broken wrist in which bone fragments move out of their normal alignment is called a displaced wrist fra...
Is a Night in the Hospital Necessary After Hip, Knee Replacement?
- Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
- January 19, 2022
- Full Page
For many people undergoing total hip or knee replacement, same-day surgery is a safe option, new research shows.
Among folks in overall good health, the study of nearly 1.8 million patients found similar post-op complication rates among those who had outpatient joint rep...
Exercise Soon After Breast Plastic Surgery Is Safe, Healthy
- Cara Murez
- December 28, 2021
- Full Page
While some plastic surgeons recommend no exercise for weeks after breast augmentation, new research suggests the ban may not be necessary.
Are Opioid Painkillers Needed Weeks After Heart Surgery? Maybe Not
- Ernie Mundell and Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporters
- December 17, 2021
- Full Page
Recovery from heart surgery can bring some pain. But a new study suggests patients don't need potentially addictive prescription opioids to control that post-op discomfor...
Poor Outcome More Likely When Patient Is Female, Surgeon Is Male: Study
- Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
- December 13, 2021
- Full Page
You can’t always choose who operates on you, especially in an emergency, but the sex of your surgeon shouldn’t matter, should it?
U.S. Surgery Rates Rebounded Quickly After Pandemic Shutdowns
- Robert Preidt
- December 10, 2021
- Full Page
U.S. operating rooms got busy once again soon after the first round of pandemic shutdowns, according to a study that challenges the widely held belief that operations have been curtailed indefinitely during the age of COVID-19.
"It's an untold story," said senior study ...
Removing Ovaries During Hysterectomy Before 50 Can Bring Health Risks
- Cara Murez
- December 9, 2021
- Full Page
New research on hysterectomies among women who don’t have cancer determined there is an age at which it is safer to also remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes and an age at which it isn't.
Canadian scientists studied the cases of more than 200,500 women who had a hyst...
Cataract Surgery Might Lower Your Odds for Dementia
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- December 7, 2021
- Full Page
People who undergo surgery to treat cataracts may have a lower likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests.
Of more than 3,000 older adults with the eye disease, those who had surgery were about 30% less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's in t...
Black Women Have Triple the Odds for Lymphedema After Breast Cancer Surgery
- Cara Murez
- December 7, 2021
- Full Page
A condition called lymphedema is a well-known side effect of breast cancer treatment that can lead to swelling in the arms and legs.
New research suggests that Black women experience are at more than three times the risk of this painful issue compared to white women.
FDA Approves Imaging Drug That Can Help Surgeons Spot Ovarian Cancers
- Robert Preidt
- November 29, 2021
- Full Page
Early detection of ovarian cancer helps boost a woman's survival, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a new imaging drug that can help spot tumors during surgery.
The drug, Cytalux (pafolacianine), is meant to improve a surgeon's ability to detec...
What You Need to Know About Stomach Cancer
- November 25, 2021
- Full Page
New treatment options are giving hope to patients with stomach cancer.
Also known as gastric cancer, the disease is the world's sixth most common cancer with 1.09 million new cases in 2020, according to the World Health Organization.
It's an abnormal growth of cell...
Addictive Opioid Painkillers Might Not Be Needed After Knee Surgery
- Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
- November 23, 2021
- Full Page
Addictive opioid painkillers aren't the only option for patients seeking relief following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee reconstruction, researchers say.
As the United States wrestles with skyrocketing rates of opioid abuse and drug overdose deaths, the findings m...
Blood Pressure During Surgery May Be Crucial After Spinal Cord Injury
- Robert Preidt
- November 22, 2021
- Full Page
Tight blood pressure control -- not too high and not too low -- during surgery for spinal cord injuries may improve patients' outcomes, a new study suggests.
"Damage to neurons in spinal cord injuries leads to dysregulation of blood pressure, which in turn limits the sup...
Advances in Care, Impact of COVID Highlights of Latest Cardiologists' Meeting
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- November 19, 2021
- Full Page
The COVID-19 pandemic, heart-healthy eating, and better ways to treat and prevent heart disease were among the hot topics that emerged during the American Heart Association's annual meeting this week.
"I was at the sessions yesterday, I was actually in clinic this mornin...
Low-Dose CT Scans Can Diagnose Appendicitis
- Robert Preidt
- November 15, 2021
- Full Page
CT scans expose patients to radiation even as they help doctors spot serious health problems. Now a new study finds low-dose scans can readily spot appendicitis while reducing patients' radiation exposure.
"The results of this study suggest that the diagnostic CT scan ra...
Exercise Helps Ease Arm, Shoulder Pain After Breast Cancer Surgery
- Ernie Mundell and Robert Preidt
- November 12, 2021
- Full Page
Arm and shoulder pain are common for women after breast cancer surgery, and beginning a supervised exercise program soon afterwards can go a long way to easing the discomfort, new research suggests.
As the team of British investigators explained, restricted shoulder move...
Sexism May Play Role in Who Performs Your Surgery
- Robert Preidt
- November 11, 2021
- Full Page
Male doctors are much more likely to refer patients to male surgeons, rather than send them to female surgeons with equal qualifications and experience, a new study finds.
"During my 20 years in practice, I always had the sense it was easier for my male surgical colleagu...
Hip Replacements on the Rise Among the Very Young
- Robert Preidt
- November 10, 2021
- Full Page
It may look like bad news, but a new study says it's not: The number of people younger than 21 who had total hip replacement surgery in the United States jumped from 347 in 2000 to 551 in 2016.
The increase wasn't due to a rise in the number of children with inflammatory...
Most Americans Would Skip Opioids After Surgery If They Could: Survey
- Robert Preidt
- November 9, 2021
- Full Page
More than two-thirds of Americans would be willing to try alternatives to prescription opioids to control pain after surgery, a new survey shows.
The United States is grappling with an opioid addiction crisis, and it's common for addiction to begin when patients get pain...
Study Compares Bypass, Stenting for Patients With Severe Heart Disease
- Ernie Mundell and Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporters
- November 5, 2021
- Full Page
Bypass surgery is slightly better overall than stenting to open blocked arteries in people with severe coronary artery disease, new research shows.
But decisions may still need to be made on a case-by-case basis: Stenting appeared more beneficial in some patients, partic...
Shorter Course of Post-Op Radiation May Work Well for Prostate Cancer Patients
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- October 27, 2021
- Full Page
After prostate cancer surgery, men can safely undergo fewer radiation treatments at higher doses, a new clinical trial shows.
Researchers found that the shorter regimen -- given over five weeks, instead of seven -- did not raise patients' odds of lasting side effects.
Routine Ventilation of Surgical Patients Won't Raise COVID Transmission Risk
- Robert Preidt
- October 27, 2021
- Full Page
Routine face mask ventilation during an operation doesn't increase the surgical team's risk of coronavirus infection, according to a new study.
Face mask ventilation is typically used for surgical patients under general anesthesia. However, its designation as an "aerosol...
Cataracts Tied to Higher Odds of Death From Heart Disease
- Ernie Mundell and Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporters
- October 26, 2021
- Full Page
Cataracts, a common eye disorder that often comes with age, may also be linked to a heightened risk of death from heart disease, new research shows.
Experts stressed that the finding doesn't mean that cataracts somehow cause heart trouble, and the study wasn't designed t...
Gender-Affirming Mastectomies Give Boost to Patients' Mental Health
- Robert Preidt
- October 20, 2021
- Full Page
Gender-affirming breast removal (mastectomy) can greatly enhance a patients' mental well-being, a new study finds.
Gender-affirming mastectomy is the most common type of gender-confirming surgery, but there's "not a lot of information out there about how exactly these ty...
Acupuncture During a Knee Replacement Could Lessen Post-Surgical Pain
- Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
- October 12, 2021
- Full Page
After knee replacement surgery, many patients experience a level of pain that has them reaching for prescription opioid painkillers. Now new research suggests that using acupuncture during the operation may help reduce that pain without raising the risk of addiction.
"Th...
Surgery Often a Gateway to Opioid Abuse, Study Confirms
- October 11, 2021
- Full Page
Surgery is a common gateway to opioid misuse that can put patients at risk of an overdose.
That's the conclusion of a new analysis of data from nearly 14,000 adults who had surgery between 2013 and 2019 at UCLA hospitals. All were opioid-naive, meaning they had not fille...