Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Surgery for April 2019. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
FDA Approves Device That Allows for Reassessment of Lung Transplant Suitability
MONDAY, April 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of a new device on Friday that aims to increase the number of lungs available for transplant.
Events for Living Kidney Donors Mainly Occur After Two Years
MONDAY, April 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Overall, about 14.7 percent of living kidney donors have postdonation events, most of which occur more than two years after donation, according to a study published online April 12 in JAMA Network Open.
U.K. Study IDs Risk Factors Tied to Knee Replacement Revision
FRIDAY, April 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A new study published online April 17 in Lancet Infectious Diseases identifies risk factors associated with revision for prosthetic joint infection following knee replacement.
Gender Differences Seen in Adverse Drug Reactions
FRIDAY, April 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The risk for adverse drug reactions (ADRs) may be higher for women, even when accounting for gender differences in drug use, according to a study published online April 2 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
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FDA Announces New Steps to Reduce Risks Tied to Surgical Staplers
THURSDAY, April 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week announced three new efforts to protect patients from malfunctions, injuries, and deaths associated with the use of surgical staplers for internal use and implantable surgical staples.
Interdisciplinary Care Pathway Helps Manage Frail, Elderly Trauma Patients
THURSDAY, April 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — An interdisciplinary care protocol for frail geriatric trauma patients significantly reduces the risk for delirium and 30-day readmission, according to a study published online April 5 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
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CDC Provides Clarification of Opioid Prescribing Guideline
WEDNESDAY, April 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Implementation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention opioid prescribing recommendations should be consistent with the guideline’s intent, according to a perspective piece published online April 24 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In Severe, Asymptomatic Aortic Stenosis, Early Surgery May Help
TUESDAY, April 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Early aortic valve replacement (AVR) may improve survival in patients with severe, asymptomatic aortic stenosis, according to a study published online March 20 in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
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Injection Timing Tied to Risk for Infection in Rotator Cuff Repair
MONDAY, April 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, corticosteroid injections within the previous month are associated with an increased risk for surgical site infection, according to a study published in the April 17 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
National Hand Hygiene Initiative Successful in Australia
FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) has successfully sustained improvement in hand hygiene compliance, according to a study recently published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases and presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, held from April 13 to 16 in Amsterdam.
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Loan Forgiveness, Educational Debt May Affect Practice Patterns
FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Increased educational debt appears to directly influence physician practice choice, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
Short Hospital Stays After Lung Surgery Do Not Up Readmissions
FRIDAY, April 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In patients treated within an advanced recovery pathway, early discharge after anatomic lung resection does not increase the risk for readmission, according to a study recently published online in Innovations: Technology and Techniques in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery.
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Sixty People Charged in Massive Opioid Painkiller Investigation
THURSDAY, April 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Fifty-three medical professionals, including 31 doctors, are among the 60 people charged by U.S. authorities for their alleged involvement in the illegal prescribing and distribution of opioid painkillers.
Digital Replantation Seems Better Than Revision Amputation
THURSDAY, April 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with a distal single finger or three or more digits amputated, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) seem better with replantation versus revision amputation, according to a study published online April 17 in JAMA Surgery.
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Some Patients With Imminently Fatal Cancer Undergo Treatment
WEDNESDAY, April 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Some patients with imminently fatal de novo metastatic cancer undergo treatment, according to a study published online April 15 in JNCI: Cancer Spectrum.
FDA Halts All Sales of Pelvic Mesh Products Tied to Injuries in Women
TUESDAY, April 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday announced a ban on the sale of all pelvic mesh products.
Standardizing Demographics Ups Accuracy of Patient Matching
MONDAY, April 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Standardizing demographic data can improve the accuracy of patient matching, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
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Operator-Directed Sedation Seems Safe in Peds Cardiac Cath
FRIDAY, April 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For carefully selected pediatric patients, operator-directed sedation (ODS) for congenital cardiac catheterization procedures is not associated with an increased risk for adverse events and may reduce case time and charges, according to a study published online April 10 in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.
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Domestic Responsibilities Tied to Physician Mothers’ Satisfaction
THURSDAY, April 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For physician mothers in procedural specialties, being responsible for five or more domestic tasks is associated with an increased likelihood of career dissatisfaction, according to a study published online April 10 in JAMA Surgery.
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SSI Risk Up After C-Section for Medicaid Beneficiaries
THURSDAY, April 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The risk for surgical site infection (SSI) after cesarean delivery is increased for women covered by Medicaid versus private health insurance, according to a study published online April 9 in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
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FDA: Patients Should Not Abruptly Stop Taking a Prescribed Opioid
WEDNESDAY, April 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Because of the danger of “serious harm” to patients, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advising doctors not to suddenly stop patients from taking opioid painkillers, or drastically lower the dose.
Complication Rates Low for High-Volume Pediatric Thyroid Surgery
WEDNESDAY, April 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Complication rates are low following surgery for pediatric thyroid disease at a high-volume center, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery.
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New, Revised Topics Released in ACR Appropriateness Criteria
TUESDAY, April 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The latest edition of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria has been released and includes 188 diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology topics, with 908 clinical variants covering more than 1,670 clinical scenarios.
Patient Behaviors Identified That Impact Weight Regain After RYGB
FRIDAY, April 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Several patient behaviors are associated with weight regain after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery, including sedentary time, eating fast food, and eating when feeling full, according to a study published online April 4 in the Annals of Surgery.
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Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Key to Survival in Pancreatic Cancer
THURSDAY, April 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Three factors can predict survival in patients with borderline resectable (BR) or locally advanced (LA) pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), according to a study published online April 2 in the Annals of Surgery.
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Early Hospital Intervention for Diabetes Improves Outcomes
THURSDAY, April 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Early intervention for patients with diabetes in the hospital decreases hyperglycemia and hospital-acquired infections, according to a study published online March 28 in Diabetes Care.
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Heart, Lungs From Hep C-Infected Donor Can Be Transplanted Safely
WEDNESDAY, April 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Hearts and lungs from donors with hepatitis C viremia can be safely transplanted into patients without hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, according to a study published online April 3 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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For TAVR, Inverse Link Identified for Hospital Volume, Mortality
WEDNESDAY, April 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Hospital volume is inversely associated with mortality for transfemoral transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR) procedures, according to a study published online April 3 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Racial Disparities Seen in Kidney Transplant for Highly Sensitized
WEDNESDAY, April 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — After implementation of the Kidney Allocation System, there was less access to kidney transplant in the black population among patients who are highly sensitized, according to a study published online April 3 in JAMA Surgery.
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Bariatric Embolization Feasible for Treatment of Severe Obesity
WEDNESDAY, April 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Bariatric embolization is well tolerated in severely obese adults and is associated with weight loss for up to 12 months, according to a study published online April 2 in Radiology.
Americans Borrowed $88 Billion in Past Year to Pay for Health Care
TUESDAY, April 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — About one in eight Americans borrowed a total of $88 billion in the past year to pay for health care, a new West Health-Gallup survey shows.
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Guidelines Address PFO Closure for Secondary Stroke Prevention
TUESDAY, April 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In a Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions expert consensus statement published online March 21 in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, recommendations are presented for patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure for the secondary prevention of recurrent stroke.
Over-the-Counter Meds Save Health Care System Money
TUESDAY, April 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — On average, each dollar spent on over-the-counter (OTC) medicines saves the U.S. health care system $7.20, totaling nearly $146 billion in annual savings, according to a report released March 18 by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA).
Doctors Unclear on Legal Obligations in Caring for Patients With Disability
MONDAY, April 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Practicing physicians might not understand their legal responsibilities when caring for people with disability, which may contribute to inequalities in their care, according to a study published online April 1 in Health Affairs.
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Awake Endoscopic Spinal Fusion Appears to Be Safe, Effective
MONDAY, April 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Awake endoscopic minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) performed without general anesthesia is safe and seems effective for lumbar fusion, according to a study published online April 1 in Neurosurgical Focus.
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