Surgical Research
21 Dec Study Finds No Clear Benefit of Mesh For Prolapse Surgery
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_30694" align="alignleft" width="140"]
Prof. Cathryn Glazener[/caption]
Prof. Cathryn Glazener PhD
Health Services Research Unit
University of Aberdeen
Aberdeen,UK
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Prolapse is a condition that affects up to half of all women after childbirth. Women notice a bulge or discomfort in their vaginas due to pressure from the bladder, bowel or womb moving downwards. Women who have surgery for their prolapse have a 3 in 10 chance of needing at least one more operation, so the success rate is not great. Gynaecologists hoped that by reinforcing their repairs the success rate would get better.
PROSPECT was a pragmatic, multicentre randomised controlled trial conducted in 35 centres across the UK. Women undergoing their first operation for prolapse were randomised to having a standard repair of the front or back wall of the vagina, or a repair reinforced by synthetic non-absorbable mesh, or a biological graft.
We found that, in contrast to previous research, women were just as likely to be cured after standard surgery rather than reinforced repairs. They were just as likely to have other symptoms such as bladder or sexual problems, and other adverse effects such as infection, bleeding or pain.
However, about 1 in 10 of the women who had mesh did have mesh exposure when a small portion of the mesh becomes visible through the vaginal wall. Although many women did not have symptoms, about half of those women needed a small operation to remove or bury the exposed mesh.
17 Dec Annual Report of Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_30605" align="alignleft" width="132"]
Dr. Frederick Grover[/caption]
Frederick L. Grover, M. D.
Professor, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Past Chair, Department of Surgery
University of Colorado School of Medicine-Anschutz Medical Campus
Aurora, CO
Past President, Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Vice Chair, Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Following approval of the first transcatheter aortic heart valve late in 2011 the TVT-R was established and data entry was mandated by CMS for all patients who were undergoing transcatheter valve therapy. Data is currently collected on transcatheter aortic valves (TAVR) from two companies, transcatheter mitral clip procedures (TMC), transcatheter mitral valve in valve or valve in ring procedures and aortic valve in valve procedures. A report is published annually jointly in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) and the Annals of Thoracic Surgery (ATS). This report contains data from the beginning of 2012 through December 31, 2015. Peoperative risk factors, operative details and outcomes data are collected prior to procedures, during the hospitalization, 30 days post procedure and at one year and later data can be collected by linking to CMS administrative data.
For this annual report we concentrated on touching on some of the highlights since the length of the manuscript is limited. We discussed the trends in TAVR, since this is the most common procedure performed, the last two years’ experience in mitral clips since a very detailed paper was published on this last year, and the mitral valve in valve and ring since the results for this procedure were impressively good.
In regard to TAVR, 418 sites perform this procedure and the number of cases in 2015 increased from 16,295 in 2014 to 24,808. Very importantly, mortality and complications have been decreasing each year, probably related to improvements in the technology with smaller catheter and sheath sizes leading to less vascular complications, greater experience of those doing the procedures, a less sick group of patients going initially from those too ill to do an open operation on, to very high risk to high risk according to approval criteria. The age of the patients however is most often in the 80s.
16 Dec Technical and Clinical Considerations for Facial Feminization Surgery
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Raúl J. Bellinga, MD, FEBOMS FACIALTEAM Surgical Group, Marbella High Care International Hospital, Marbella, Málaga, Spain MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Feminization rhinoplasty is one of the most common and important procedures in Facial Feminization Surgery. In this study our surgical group has evaluated...
15 Dec Surgery Versus 5% Imiquimod for Nodular and Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Hywel C. Williams DSc, FMedSci, NIHR Senior Investigator Director of the NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme http://www.nets.nihr.ac.uk/programmes/hta Professor of Dermato-Epidemiology and Co-Director of the Centre of Evidence-Based Dermatology, http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/cebd/index.aspx University of Nottingham, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham UK [caption id="attachment_30519" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Basal Cell Skin Cancer-Wikipedia image[/caption]
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Our clinical trial of 5% imiquimod cream versus surgery for low risk basal carcinoma (BCC) of the skin was first prompted by a shocking lack of randomised controlled clinical trials for what is the commonest form of human cancer.
We had conducted a Cochrane systematic review prior to starting the study and found very few long term studies. An emerging literature on imiquimod cream at the time suggested that it might have a clinically useful effect for low risk BCC. All the studies were short term and industry supported, so with the support of Cancer Research UK (UK largest cancer charity), we undertook a large independent study to see how the cream compared to the reference standard of excision surgery with a 4mm margin for low risk superficial and nodular BCC.
Our three year results, published in Lancet Oncology, showed that surgery is clearly superior to imiquimod cream, with a success rate (absence of initial failure and no signs of recurrence at 3 years) of 98.4% compared to 83.6% for imiquimod. Nevertheless, the 83.6% success rate is still potentially useful, so we wanted to see whether these 3 year results were sustained. So we followed up your study participants for a total of 5 years and found that the response rates at 5 years were almost the same as those at 3 years (97.7% and 82.5% for surgery and imiquimod respectively).
Most treatment failures with imiquimod occurred early on ie in the first year of treatment. Our study shows that if initial treatment works, the benefits are sustained.
15 Dec Women Leave General Surgery Residencies For Better Lifestyle Specialties
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_30490" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Mohammed Al-Omran[/caption]
Mohammed Al-Omran, MD, MSc, FRCSC
Head, Division of Vascular Surgery
St. Michael’s Hospital
Professor, Department of Surgery
University of Toronto
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: General surgery residency is among the most demanding clinical training programs in medicine. Several studies have suggested surgical residents have a relatively high attrition rate; however, no study has systematically reviewed the overall prevalence and causes of attrition among general surgery residents.
We included over 20 studies representing 19,821 general surgery residents in our review. Most studies were from the US. We found the pooled estimate of attrition prevalence among general surgery residents was 18%. Female residents were more likely to leave than male (25% versus 15%), and residents were most likely to leave after their first training year (48%). Departing residents most commonly switched to another medical specialty (such as anaesthesia, plastic surgery, radiology or family medicine) or relocated to another general surgery program. The most common causes of attrition were uncontrollable lifestyle (range of 18% to 88%) and transferring to another specialty (range of 18% to 39%).
12 Dec Image-Guided Biopsies May Reduce Need For Surgery in Breast Cancer Patients Who Respond to Chemotherapy
Posted at 21:52h
in Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Chemotherapy, Mammograms, MD Anderson, Surgical Research
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_30458" align="alignleft" width="175"]
Dr. Henry M. Kuerer[/caption]
Henry M. Kuerer, MD, PhD, FACS
Executive Director, Breast Network Programs
MD Anderson Cancer Network
PH and Fay Etta Robinson Distinguished Professor in Research
Department of Breast Surgical Oncology
Director, Breast Surgical Oncology Training Program
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Worldwide, triple negative and HER2 positive breast cancers, combined, account for about 370,000 women diagnosed annually. With recent advances in neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST, chemotherapy and targeted therapy given before surgery) for both subsets, the pCR (pathologic complete response- when no residual cancer is found) rates found at the time of surgery in these populations can be as high as 60 percent. This high rate of pCR naturally raises the question of whether surgery is required for all patients, particularly those who will receive adjuvant radiation.
We believe surgery may potentially be redundant – at least for these two subtypes of breast cancer – because of such a high chance for no evidence of disease at the time of pathological review. If there’s no cancer left after the patient has received chemotherapy and the patient is going to receive local radiation therapy, is surgery actually needed?
The challenge has been that standard breast imaging methods cannot accurately predict residual disease after NST. However, by doing the same image-guided percutaneous needle biopsies after neoadjuvant systemic therapy that we do at time of diagnosis, our preliminary research reveals that we may be able to accurately predict which women will have cancer or not.
08 Dec Patients Prefer Online Portal To Receive Skin Biopsy Results
Posted at 16:33h
in Author Interviews, Dermatology, Electronic Records, JAMA, Outcomes & Safety, Surgical Research
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Sophia Akhiyat
M.D. Candidate, Class of 2017
The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
METEOR Fellowship
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Our study was inspired by one of Choudhry et al,1 in which patients' preferences for skin biopsy result disclosure was surveyed at melanoma clinics affiliated with several academic institutions. We sought to broaden participant inclusion criteria by evaluating patients' preferences at a general dermatology clinic at an academic center.
Our findings support that the highest ranked patient-preferred method for receiving skin biopsy results was through an online portal. Patients also reported that the most important factors when selecting a modality for communication were the amount of information given and time available to discuss results. We also observed a relationship between a younger patient age range and online portal experience as well as a preference for biopsy notification via online portal.
1Choudhry A, Hong J, Chong K, et al. Patients' Preferences for Biopsy Result Notification in an Era of Electronic Messaging Methods. JAMA Dermatol. 2015;151(5):513-521.
06 Dec Only High Risk Patients May Require Anticoagulation After Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_30279" align="alignleft" width="187"]
Dr. Suzanne Cannegieter,[/caption]
Suzanne C. Cannegieter, M.D., Ph.D.
Einthoven Laboratory
Leiden University Medical Center
The Netherlands
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Patients who undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and patients who are treated with casting of the lower leg are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). It is uncertain whether thromboprophylaxis is effective in these situations to prevent VTE. For both indications, several trials have been performed to evaluate the effectiveness of anticoagulant prophylaxis. However, an overall risk–benefit balance could not be established because of methodologic shortcomings; hence, there has been reluctance to establish international guidelines regarding the use of anticoagulant therapy for either of these indications.
05 Dec Teledermatology Can Triage Many Post-Operative Skin Surgery Concerns
Posted at 20:50h
in Author Interviews, Dermatology, Surgical Research, Telemedicine, UT Southwestern
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_30246" align="alignleft" width="120"]
Dr. Rajiv Nijhawan[/caption]
Rajiv Nijhawan MD
Department of Dermatology
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: From a healthcare perspective, we are constantly working to improve access to patients, and telemedicine has proved to be an excellent platform for this goal especially in the field of dermatology. In regards to surgical dermatology, the role of telemedicine has been limited. The ubiquity of smartphones with photograph capability has provided an opportunity for patients to take self-acquired photographs (selfies) easily. Our experience has been that few patients who call with post-operative concerns have major issues (e.g. infection, bleeding, etc.) while the majority of concerns are minor in nature, and patients are often seeking reassurance.
Our study shows that the majority of concerns can easily be triaged and managed through patient-directed photography without burdening the patient to take time off work for another appointment, find transportation/travel (many of our patients travel hours for their visits), wait to see the provider, etc. This option of triaging a post-operative concern essentially immediately through the use of patient-directed photographs provides the opportunity for immediate feedback on the patient’s concerns and likely reduces anxiety while making the process as patient-centered as possible. In addition, it allows the physician to be as efficient as possible by not having to overbook his/her schedule to accommodate these often non-urgent concerns.
05 Dec Key Barriers To Development of Artificial Red Blood Cells Overcome
Posted at 20:26h
in Accidents & Violence, Anemia, Author Interviews, Hematology, Surgical Research, Technology
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_30198" align="alignleft" width="133"]
Dr. Allan Doctor[/caption]
Allan Doctor, MD
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
Professor of Pediatrics and (Associate) Biochemistry
Washington University School of Medicine &
Saint Louis Children’s Hospital
St. Louis, Missouri
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Our research team has developed the first nanoscale artificial cells designed to emulate vital functions of natural red blood cells. If ultimately confirmed safe for use in humans, this nanotechnology-based product, called ‘ErythroMer’, could represent a new and innovative alternative to blood transfusions that would be especially valuable in situations where stored blood is needed, but difficult to obtain or use, such as in pre-hospital or battlefield settings. The artificial cells are designed to be freeze-dried, stored for extended periods at ambient temperatures, and simply reconstituted with water for immediate use.
This year, the National Academy of Sciences estimated that 30,000 civilian trauma deaths/year are preventable and of these, two-thirds arise from hemorrhage in the pre-hospital phase of care. One key goal for our team is to advance treatment for trauma victims or soldiers in austere environments by initiating resuscitation in the field, particularly when transport is prolonged. ErythroMer could be a blood substitute that medics carry in their pack and literally take it out, add water, and inject. There are currently no simple, practical means to bring transfusion to most trauma victims outside of hospitals. Delays in resuscitation significantly impact outcomes; it is our goal to push timely, effective care to field settings.
01 Dec Frailty Screening Can Predict Postoperative Survival
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_30060" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Dr. Daniel E. Hall[/caption]
Daniel E. Hall, MD, MDiv, MHSc, FACS
Associate Professor of Surgery
University of Pittsburgh Staff Surgeon
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Core Investigator
VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion.
PIttsburgh, PA
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: A growing body of research demonstrates that frailty is a more powerful predictor of postoperative outcomes than risk-prediction models based on age or comorbidity alone. However, it has not been clear if surgeons could intervene on frailty to improve outcomes.
This study reports what we believe to be the first ever demonstration that it is not only feasible to screen an entire health system for frailty, but that it is possible to act on that information to improve outcomes. Every patient evaluated for elective surgery was screened for frailty with a brief tool that takes 1-2 minutes to complete. Those identified as potentially frail and thus at greater risk for poor surgical outcomes received an ad-hoc administrative review aimed at optimizing perioperative care. After implementing the frailty screening initiative, we observed a 3-fold increase in long-term survival at 6 and 12 months—even after controlling for age, frailty, and predicted mortality.
27 Nov STEMI Outcomes Improve For Both Genders, But More So For Men
Posted at 01:13h
in AHA Journals, Author Interviews, Gender Differences, Heart Disease, Surgical Research
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Stefano Savonitto
Director, Division of Cardiology
Manzoni Hospital
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Over the last 15 years, there has been a shift from fibrinolytic therapy for STEMI to primary angioplasty, which required a re-organization of the whole STEMI treatment network. Besides the higher reperfusion efficiency of primary angioplasty, as compared to lytic therapy, it has been a global upgrade of the STEMI care system that has reduced the rate of no reperfusion.
Elderly patients and women (who are, on average, also older than men) had theoretically the most to gain from this shift, but little data were available to assess this benefit.
In the present paper, we have shown that “lack of reperfusion” was reduced dramatically across all age groups and in both sexes, with a progressive and uniform increase in primary angioplasty, and a significant reduction in mortality. Almost as expected, elderly women were the category with the most relevant mortality benefit.
Nevertheless, after adjustment for age and other confounders, women continue to experience a higher mortality as compared to men. In the discussion of the paper, we propose some hypotheses for this persistently higher mortality in women.
22 Nov More Surgeries, Fewer Deaths From Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in US than UK
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_29912" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Dr. Alan Karthikesalingam[/caption]
Alan Karthikesalingam MD PhD, NIHR
Academic Clinical Lecturer in Vascular Surgery
St George's Vascular Institute
London, UK
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: The background for this study was that the typical diameter at abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, and the population incidence of AAA repair, have been known to vary considerably between different countries. This study aimed to observe whether a discrepancy in the population incidence rate of AAA repair between England and the USA was seen alongside a discrepancy in population rates of AAA-related mortality or AAA rupture in those countries.
22 Nov Surgical Oncologist Discusses Empathy as Critical Ingredient of Good Medical Care
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_29908" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Dr. Dmitri Alden[/caption]
Dr. Dmitri Alden MD, FACS
Surgical Oncologist, specializes in liver cancer, bile duct cancer, metastatic ovarian cancer and pancreatic cancer at Lenox Hill Hospital, NY
Dr. Alden is an advocate of the role of empathy in medicine and discusses his passion for compassionate care in this interview.
Please see his bio and website at http://www.liversurgeryny.com.
MedicalResearch.com: Why do you feel that empathy is a vital part of treating a patient?
Response: Over the last decade many physicians, patients and other professionals began to recognize that medical care is much more than treatment with medications or an act of surgery. Healing involves pain and suffering and dealing with psychological issues connected to the stress of being taken out of one’s normal life routine. Pain is now considered a “vital sign” and only recently it became mandatory to address it properly and document it in a medical record. Empathy in my opinion is a “vital sign” of any relationship that forms between a patient and a medical professional. When expressed genuinely, it makes a tremendous impact on patient’s overall experience and recovery.
MedicalResearch.com: How do you define empathy in regards to medical treatment?
Response: Empathy is understanding and true genuine caring. Patients and doctors create a unique and very personal relationship built on trust and “chemistry”. The doctor’s ability to express empathy, step in the patient’s shoes, get to know their life, loves, personal problems and to structure care around this unique individual enhances the patient’s belief in the route of treatment chosen and the doctor’s ability to provide a cure.
MedicalResearch.com: Do you feel that the medical system doesn't emphasize empathy enough?
Response: Doctors are trained without an emphasis on empathy. They focus on acquiring immense amounts of information that need to be learned during medical school and residency. Emotions are currently left to the side in order to succeed. The end product is often a machine that knows what to do in any medical situation but has difficulty to connect on an emotional level. I feel that empathy is also a very important step towards achieving successful outcomes because a patient will feel more invested in following the doctor's advice if he feels there is compassion and understanding.
21 Nov Women Undergoing Stent Surgery for Total Coronary Occlusions Tend To Be Older and Have More Complications
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr James Spratt Bsc, MD, FRCP, FESC, FACC Spire Edinburgh Hospitals and Spire Murrayfield Edinburgh Spire Shawfair Park Hospital MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Gender differences exist between male and female patients following routine PCI but data regarding these differences in Chronic Total Occlusions (CTO) Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is limited. We maintain a dedicated national (United Kingdom) prospective CTO database contributed to by dedicated CTO PCI operators (lifetime CTO PCI >300). We retrospectively analysed this database from 2011-2015 to compare outcomes and characteristics of male versus female patients undergoing CTO PCI. We attempted to limit the bias of this observational study by propensity matched analysis.20 Nov Cesarean Section Rates Vary Across US Hospitals
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Kamila Mistry, PhD MPH AHRQ MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Although the overall cesarean section (C-section) rate in the United States has declined slightly in recent years, nearly a third of all births continue to be delivered by C-section—higher than in many other industrialized countries. A number of medical as well as nonmedical factors may contribute to high C-section rates. C-section is the most common surgical procedure performed in the United States. This operation carries additional risks compared with vaginal delivery, such as infection and postoperative pain. A C-section also may make it more difficult for the mother to establish breastfeeding and may complicate subsequent pregnancies. Consensus guidelines from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other national efforts to improve perinatal care have shown promise in reducing nonmedically indicated C-sections. However, recent research has found wide variation in hospital C-section rates even for low-risk deliveries.17 Nov Fully Magnetized HeartMate 3 LVAD Eliminates Pump Clots
Posted at 21:28h
in Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Heart Disease, NEJM, Surgical Research
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Mandeep R. Mehra, MD, FACC, FESC, FHFSA, FRCP
Medical Director, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Heart and Vascular Center
Executive Director, Center for Advanced Heart Disease
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Editor in Chief, The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, MA
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: 10% of patients with heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction transition into Advanced Stages of disease where they become unresponsive to life prolonging traditional medications. Such patients typically require intravenous inotropic therapy to preserve cardiac function but most remain profoundly limited in their quality of life. In such cases a heart transplant is desirable but this is an option for only a few patients.
Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) have become the mainstay for treating such patients either while they await a transplant or as a permanent option. However, there are challenges leading to infections, strokes, bleeding and most importantly pump malfunction due to thrombosis of the LVAD itself. The HeartMate 3 LVAD is a centrifugal pump that is designed to overcome the problem of pump thrombosis by virtue of 3 engineering attributes:
(a) A frictionless rotor that is based on a fully magnetically levitated platform
(b) wide blood flow passages that reduce red cell destruction and
(c) an artificial intrinsic pulse that prevents stasis of blood within the pump.
15 Nov Bariatric Surgery in Women of Childbearing Age and Perinatal Complications
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Brodie Parent, MD MS General Surgery R4 University of Washington MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: We already knew that women with a history of bariatric surgery are a high risk group when it comes to childbirth. Our study has confirmed prior data which show that infants from these women are at a higher risk for being premature, low birth-weight, or requiring ICU admission. However, this is some of the first data which looks at their risk over time after recovery from the operation. Data from this study show that risks to the infant are highest in the first 3 years after an operation, and diminish over time. This suggests that women should wait a minimum of three years after an operation before attempting conception.15 Nov Prostate Biopsies and Prostatectomies Drop After PSA Recommendation Changes
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_29302" align="alignleft" width="134"]
Dr. Jim Hu[/caption]
Jim C. Hu, M.D., M.P.H.
Ronald P. Lynch Professor of Urologic Oncology
Director of the LeFrak Center for Robotic Surgery
Weill Cornell Medicine
Urology
New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell
New York, NY 10065
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: The US Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against PSA testing in men older than 75 years in 2008 and more recently in all US men regardless of age in 2012. This was largely based on a faulty study, the prostate, lung, colo-rectal and ovarian screening study. We demonstrated in May 2016 that this randomized trial did not compare screening to no screening or apples to oranges, as it set out to do. It compared screening to screening. Although controversial, the guidelines were well-intentioned, as recognize that there is over-diagnosis and over-treatment of men with prostate cancer. Given this background, the goal of our study was to explore the downstream consequences of the recommendation against PSA screening. As such, we explored 3 separate databases to characterize national procedure volumes for prostate needle biopsy and radical prostatectomy, or surgery to cure prostate cancer.
The main finding was that prostate biopsy numbers decreased by 29% and radical prostatectomy surgeries decreased by 16% when comparing before to after USPSTF recommendations against PSA screening. Therefore practice patterns followed policy. Prostate biopsies are usually performed due to an elevated, abnormal screening PSA. However, it is also performed to monitor low-risk, slow growing prostate cancers. We also found that while the overall number of prostate biopsies decreased, there was a 29% increase in the proportion or percentage of biopsies performed due to active surveillance, or monitoring of low risk prostate cancers which should be done periodically. Therefore we provide the first national study to demonstrate that there is less over-diagnosis and over-treatment of prostate cancer.
However, the concern is that we also recently demonstrated that there is more aggressive prostate cancer on surgical pathology for men who go on to radical prostatectomy. They have high grade, higher stage cancers, which have a lower chance of cure. The link is:
http://www.prostatecancerreports.org/fulltext/2016/_Hu_JC160708.pdf
15 Nov Requiring Pacemaker Within 30 Days of TAVR Linked To Worse Prognosis
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Opeyemi O. Fadahunsi, MBBS, MPH Department of Medicine Reading Health System West Reading, Pennsylvania MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive approach to managing symptomatic severe aortic stenosis in patients who have a high surgical risk or are deemed to be inoperable. One of the most frequent complications is development of conduction abnormalities requiring permanent pacemaker placement. We compared clinical outcomes in patients requiring permanent pacemaker placement post-TAVR to those not requiring a pacemaker using a large US database called the STS/ACC TVT RegistryTM . We used real-world data of patients undergoing TAVR in the US at 229 sites between November 2011 and September 2014. The frequency of pacemaker placement within 30 days post-TAVR was 6.7% (651 of 9,785 patients). Those who needed a pacemaker within 30 days post-TAVR had longer hospital and intensive care unit stays compared to those who did not. Furthermore, those who needed a pacemaker had a higher risk of death from any cause at one year compared to those who did not get a pacemaker.14 Nov Do Dysplastic Moles Need To Be Re-Excised?
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Timothy Patton, DO Department of Dermatology Falk Medical Center University of Pittsburgh Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: As dermatologists we are confronted daily with how to manage lesions that are biopsied and diagnosed as dysplastic nevi. These lesions are considered by some to be potential melanoma precursors and by others as benign lesions with little to no malignant potential. Often, particularly for lesions with severe atypia these lesions are re excised. There are no prospective studies or consistent guidelines as to how to manage these lesions. We decided to retrospectively look at the outcome of 451 patients with dysplastic nevi with severe atypia, many of whom had not had their lesions re-excised, who had at least 5 years of follow up to determine if any developed melanoma at the site of the biopsied dysplastic nevus or distantly. We found no cases of metastatic melanoma in patients who did not already have a diagnosis of melanoma. We found two cases of thin melanoma in patients who had their lesions re-excised. Both of those patients were treated with reexcision and did not develop subsequent melanoma metastasis or recurrence.02 Nov Laser-Assisted Technology Allows Easier Removal of IVC Filters
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_29338" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Dr. William T. Kuo[/caption]
William T. Kuo, MD, FSIR, FCCP, FSVM
Director, Stanford IVC Filter Clinic
Director, IR Fellowship Program
Founding Director, IR-DR Residency Program
Associate Professor, Interventional Radiology
Stanford University Medical Center
Stanford, CA
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: In the USA, over 250,000 IVC filters are now implanted each year, and rising filter use has led to an increase in filter-related morbidity and recognition of the potential complications from indwelling IVC filters. Consequently, the FDA has issued two safety communications alerting all physicians caring for patients with IVC filters to consider removing the filter as soon as protection from pulmonary embolism is no longer needed:
http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/ucm221676.htm
http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/ucm396377.htm?so urce=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Despite heightened awareness, up to 40-60% of IVC filters cannot be easily removed using standard methods alone, after the filter becomes firmly embedded. Additionally, many patients have undergone prior placement of a permanent-type filter not even designed for retrieval, leaving them with few options for safe device removal. Although all of these patients can develop filter-related morbidity especially after chronic implantation, there is currently no routine option for removing embedded IVC filters refractory to standard retrieval methods. Our 5-year first-in-human study of a novel procedure—laser-assisted filter removal— demonstrates the safety and efficacy of this technique to treat such patients. In a cohort refractory to standard retrieval methods and high force, endovascular laser-assisted retrieval was overall safe and successful in removing a variety of filter types including permanent filters, regardless of dwell time and without the need for open surgery.
31 Oct Smoking Reduces Surgical Improvement for Cervical Myelopathy
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_29280" align="alignleft" width="140"]
Dr. David Kusin[/caption]
Dr. David Kusin MD
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: There is a wealth of research showing that cigarette smoking impairs healing through various mechanisms, including microvascular injury. Some evidence also suggests that tobacco use results in direct neurological injury to the peripheral and central nervous systems. Many studies have also shown that smoking reduces fusion rates and time to fusion in orthopedic surgery, including cervical surgery. Prior to our work, only a few high quality studies had been conducted to investigate prognostic factors in patients undergoing surgery for cervical myelopathy, and these identified smoking as a risk factor for a poorer outcome. The purpose of our study was to investigate this relationship further.
We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 87 nonsmokers and 47 smokers and correlated postoperative change in Nurick score (a measure of severity of cervical myelopathy from 0-5 with 5 being the worst) with smoking status. After controlling for age, sex, diabetes, duration of preoperative symptoms, severity of preoperative symptoms, signal change on MRI, surgical approach, number of spinal levels operated on, and alcohol use, we found that smokers had a significantly decreased improvement in Nurick score. Nonsmokers improved by 1.5 points whereas smokers only improved by 0.6 points. We also found that this was a dose response relationship, such that those with a history of greater tobacco use by pack years or packs per day had a greater decrease in improvement postoperatively. Interestingly, we found no correlation between tobacco use and preoperative severity of symptoms.
30 Oct 15-Year Study Shows Benefit of Early Surgical Treatment in Non-STEMI Coronary Syndrome
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_29286" align="alignleft" width="200"]
Prof.Lars Wallentin[/caption]
Prof. Lars Wallentin MD
Department of Medical Sciences, Cardiology
Uppsala Clinical Research Center
Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The FRISC2 study was performed 1996 – 1998 and reported 1999 for the first time a significant reduction in death and myocardial infarction by early invasive compared to non-invasive treatment strategy in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). These pivotal results have been the basis for the current international treatment guidelines recommending an early invasive treatment strategy in patients with NSTE-ACS and elevated troponin and/or other indicators of a raised risk. Still there are remaining controversies concerning the long-term effects, the appropriate selection of patients for this approach and the opportunities for a more personalised approach to early invasive procedures.
28 Oct Study Supports Feasibility of TAVI for High-Risk Aortic Regurgitation
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Anna Franzone, MD and Prof.Thomas Pilgrim, MD Department of Cardiology Bern University Hospital INSELSPITAL Bern, Switzerland MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Surgical aortic valve replacement is the therapeutic standard for patients with pure native aortic regurgitation (AR). However, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is emerging as a novel treatment option for patients deemed inoperable or at high-risk for surgery because of advanced age and multiple comorbidities. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis including 237 patients with pure native AR undergoing TAVI across 13 studies. The primary study endpoint, all-cause mortality at 30-day, ranged from 0% up to 30% with a summary estimate rate of 7% . The occurrence of complications such as the need for a second valve implantation was relatively low as well as the rates of other endpoints (cerebrovascular events, major bleeding and vascular complications).27 Oct Physical Activity Doesn’t Increase After Hip Replacement
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Tom Withers Research Student, School of Health Sciences University East Anglia Norwich, UK MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: There is a lot of subjective evidence to suggest that physical activity does not improve following hip replacement we wanted to therefore synthesise the current evidence to come to a more objective conclusion. The main finding from this study is that physical activity does not significantly change pre-operatively compared to up to one year post-operatively.21 Oct Hernias Repaired With Mesh Have Lower Risk of Re-Operation
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Thue Bisgaard, M.D., D.M.Sc Professor of Surgery, Hvidovre Hospital Hvidovre Denmark MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The complete spectrum for the benefits and risks of mesh used to reinforce hernia repair is not known because there are very few clinical trial data reporting hernia outcomes as they pertain to mesh utilization. Generally, there is evidence that mesh is beneficial in terms of less risk of reoperation for recurrence after incisional hernia repair compared with sutured repair. The present study confirmed this for the first time in nationwide analysis with a long-term follow-up of 5 years up. From earlier studies from our group (Ann Surg 2012) it is known that reoperation rate for recurrence severely underestimates overall (clinical) risk of recurrence making differences between mesh vs. sutured repair even much bigger. Although rare (5%) the incidence of mesh-related complications was progressively increasing throughout the study period suggesting that mesh-related complications rate may continue to accrue with even longer follow-up.18 Oct Liposomal Bupivacaine Infiltration Reduced Costs and Opioid Use in TKA Surgery
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Bryan Sakamoto MD, PhD Department of Anesthesia Richard L. Roudebush, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Department of Anesthesia Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis, Indiana MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Liposomal bupivacaine is a novel extended-duration anesthetic that has recently become a popular option in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for post-operative pain management. Although liposomal bupivacaine is widely used, it is unknown if the benefits justify the cost in the veteran population at our institution. The main purpose of this medication use study was to evaluate the cost verses benefit of using this agent in our veteran patient population.18 Oct LEAN Principles Improved Surgical Safety, Outcomes and Efficiency
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Vishal Sarwahi, MD, senior author Associate Surgeon-in-Chief Chief, Spinal Deformity and Pediatric Orthopaedics Billie and George Ross center for Advanced Pediatric Orthopaedics and Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery Cohen's Children Medical Center Northwell Hofstra School of Medicine and [caption id="attachment_28960" align="alignleft" width="125"]
Stephen F. Wendolowski[/caption]
Stephen F. Wendolowski
Research Assistant
Pediatric Orthopaedics
Cohen Children’s Medical Center
New Hyde Park, NY, 11040
MedicalResearch.com: What is LEAN?
Response: LEAN is a management principle that supports the concept of continuous improvement through small incremental changes to not only improve efficiency, but also quality. Particularly, we took interest in the 5S’s – Sort, Simplify, Sweep, Standardize, and Self-Discipline. We felt that Sort, Simplify, and Standardize were the most relevant to surgery.