Early Laparoscopic Surgery Best for Acute Cholecystitis
In patients with acute cholecystitis, performing laparoscopic gallbladder removal within 24 hours of admission, rather than waiting weeks to years after a course of antibiotics has been given, reduces the hospital stay without increasing the risk of complications, new research shows.
1 in 7 Americans Lack Health Insurance
One in seven Americans — one in six Americans under age 65 — do not have any kind of health insurance, the CDC reports. Lack of health insurance is greatest in the Southwest and lowest in the Northeast, with huge variation — by about 20% — among the states. "Overall, 43.1 million Americans lacked health […]
New AHA Obesity Statement Urges Clinicians to Think Beyond Clinical Treatment and Prevention
Think bigger: that's the thrust of the American Heart Association's (AHA) new scientific statement on obesity prevention [1]. To have any meaningful impact on the obesity epidemic, clinicians need to go beyond clinical prevention and treatments for obesity and use influence and advocacy to effect social and environmental change, authors of the statement say.
High-Intensity Ultrasound Destroys Esophageal Tumors
Intraluminal high-intensity ultrasound appears to be an effective treatment for esophageal tumors, which are usually not amenable to curative resection, and can even achieve complete tumor necrosis, according to French researchers who are the first to use this approach in a small pilot study. Their findings are published online on June 5 by the Journal […]
New Bariatric Technique Using Gastric Tube Retains Duodenal Function, Avoids Dumping
A new surgical procedure for the treatment of morbid obesity produces better results than sleeve gastrectomy alone, and resolves many comorbidities. The new technique, called sleeve gastrectomy with enteral bypass (SGEBP), was described here at the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery 25th Annual Meeting.
Gastric Bypass Can Improve Renal Function in Patients With Morbid Obesity
Patients with morbid obesity who also have chronic renal disease (CRD) may improve or stabilize renal function after gastric bypass, according to a study presented here at the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery 25th Annual Meeting. CRD is common in obese patients, and chronic renal failure is more than 7 times higher in […]
Option of Open or Endovascular AAA Rupture Repair Cuts Mortality
In a single-center study, the availability of both open and endovascular repair significantly improved postoperative survival in patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAA), according to a report in the Archives of Surgery for June.
Outcomes Similar With Resective or Drainage Procedures in Pancreatitis
Long-term follow-up of chronic pancreatitis patients who underwent the pylorus-preserving variant of the Whipple resection procedure shows that results are ultimately comparable to those achieved using the more recent Frey organ-sparing extended drainage approach, according to German researchers.
Evaluation of an Internet-Based Psychological Intervention for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunctio
AbstractRecent research on the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) has focused on medical interventions, in particular oral medications. The current study examined the effectiveness of an internet-based psychological intervention for this condition. In total, 31 men (12 in treatment group, 19 in control group) completed the program. The results demonstrated that men who completed the […]
Coffee and Tea May Protect Against Stroke
High consumption of coffee or tea every day appears to protect male smokers against at least 1 type of stroke, a new study suggests. This large, prospective, observational study showed that Finnish smokers who consumed 8 or more cups of coffee per day had a 23% lowered risk for cerebral infarction, whereas those who drank […]
