Surgery General
Mar 26, 2015
My friend Nick, the ER doctor, called me the other day to tell me that one of my patients had died under his care. He didn’t have to do that, but he knew I had followed this woman for several years ...
Mar 25, 2015
Every doctor makes mistakes. But, says physician Brian Goldman, medicine's culture of denial (and shame) keeps doctors from ever talking about those mistakes, or using them to learn and improve. ...
Mar 23, 2015
Emergency physicians (EPs) are at the forefront of efforts to save patients or preserve options for organ donation for those who cannot be saved. On average, 18 Americans die every day while waiting f...
Mar 23, 2015
Studies show that attrition from general surgery programs is high, even with the introduction of work-hour limitations and new restrictions on hours for general surgery residents. Research has also sh...
Mar 23, 2015
As life expectancy continues to increase in the United States, the number of elderly people and those with chronic health conditions like osteoporosis is also rising. The number of people older than...
Mar 09, 2015
Each year, more than 50,000 adults between the ages of 18 and 24 visit EDs, and about half have hazardous alcohol use patterns. “Alcohol is a leading preventable cause of mortality for young adults,...
Mar 09, 2015
New research was presented at STS 2015, the annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, from January 24 to 28 in San Diego. The features below highlight some of the studies that emerged from t...
Mar 09, 2015
According to published research, new onset post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is one of the most common complications following cardiac surgery, with incidence rates ranging between 10% and 30%...
Mar 02, 2015
A study presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) meeting in October of last year found that patients who chew gum in the immediate preoperative period may safely undergo surgery. ...
Feb 23, 2015
Comparing knee and hip arthroplasties—a look at prevalence and reimbursement rates. ...
Feb 23, 2015
In collaboration with 15 specialty surgical organizations, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has published and released its seventh edition of Physicians as Assistants at Surgery. The report is m...
Feb 23, 2015
Published reports have shown that the number of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures performed in the United States more than tripled from 1993 to 2009, while the number of total hip arthroplasty ...
Feb 20, 2015
To all of my medical friends and colleagues, especially to PA’s, NP’s, and Nurses, I need some guidance. Is it acceptable for a specialty surgeon, for example and orthopedic surgeon, to leave r...
Feb 10, 2015
Nanobots could be small solutions to big problems. Brad Nelson, a mechanical engineer at ETH Zurich, discusses potential applications for his nanobots in medicine. ...
Feb 09, 2015
Recent reports have shown that the negative consequences of narcotic use are increasing, and diversion of these drugs for non-medical use is growing, with Americans consuming about 80% of the global o...
Feb 09, 2015
Most surgical patients want to know whether or not they will need to prepare for care at a rehabilitation facility. “If prolonged postoperative care will be required, it’s helpful for patients to ...
Jan 28, 2015
About five in the afternoon on a weekday trauma shift we got a call from Native Air, a helicopter medical transport service, about a 17-year-old they were bringing us with multiple fractures sustained...
Jan 25, 2015
Infrapopliteal (IP) arterial disease, also known as “below-the-knee” or tibial disease, is a condition commonly seen in the elderly or patients with long-standing diabetes or chronic kidney diseas...
Jan 23, 2015
The American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons recently joined the American Board of Internal Medicine’s Choosing Wisely campaign with their own list of ...
Jan 23, 2015
Clinical trials have shown that survival rates appear to be similar for patients with early-stage breast cancer who are treated with breast-conserving surgery and radiation or with mastectomy. “Howe...