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Medtronic plans IN.PACT Global drug-eluting balloon SFA clinical study

In conjunction with the Charing Cross International Symposium (CX34), which concludes today in London, Minneapolis-based Medtronic, Inc. announced its plans for the imminent start of the IN.PACT Global SFA clinical study, an international research program to evaluate the treatment of peripheral artery disease using the company's IN.PACT Admiral drug-eluting balloon.

From Medtronic 18 Apr 2012

DePuy Spine launches VIPER F2 at AANS

DePuy Spine, Inc. has announced the launch of the VIPER® F2 Transfacet Pedicular System (VIPER F2), a transfacet pedicular screw and polyaxial ring system designed to provide stabilization and fixation during degenerative lumbar spinal fusion procedures.

17 Apr 2012

Chin implants growing in popularity

“Chin augmentation has increased approximately 70% in the last year, that's an astonishing number,” says Dr. Darrick Antell, A spokesperson for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. “We're much more aware of how we look and we're much more critical of ourselves,” he said. He says a strong chin not only improves a patient's self esteem, it may also boost their bottom line. Experts say that may be part of the reason chin implants saw the biggest surge of any type of cosmetic procedure in the last year.

17 Apr 2012

High intensity focused ultrasound to treat prostate cancer shows initial success

A new tumor treatment that involves heating it with highly focused ultrasound, may mean men with prostate tumors can be treated without an overnight stay in hospital and avoiding the distressing side effects associated with current therapies.

17 Apr 2012

Coronary stents do not increase risk of heart attack, death in people with metal allergies

Cardiologists have long grappled with how to best manage patients with coronary artery disease who report skin hypersensitivity to nickel or other metal components found in stents -- small tubes placed in narrowed or weakened arteries to help improve blood flow to the heart. But new Mayo Clinic research, published in the April 16, 2012, issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions, may help allay these concerns.

17 Apr 2012

ACS, CDC partner to improve surgical patient safety

A joint, strategic partnership to improve surgical patient safety at the national level was announced today by leaders of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

17 Apr 2012

First study to measure walking after surgery in gynecologic patients

Despite the well-documented benefits of walking after surgery, some patients are reluctant to make an attempt even with the encouragement of medical staff. Loyola University Health System researchers reported these findings at the prestigious 38th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons in Baltimore.

17 Apr 2012

Brainlab announces first patient procedures with Curve Image Guided Surgery at UCSF

Brainlab, a leader in software-driven medical technology, announced today the first patient procedures with Curve Image Guided Surgery at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center's Neuro-Oncology Clinic.

17 Apr 2012

UTHealth researcher studies novel cell therapy to prevent GVHD

A researcher at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) is studying a novel cell therapy that could help avoid autoimmune problems after stem cell transplantation, as well as potentially treat other autoimmune diseases.

17 Apr 2012

States roundup: Calif. mental health system grapples with controversy, shortage; Texas issues new stem cell rules

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state, alleging that it was violating patients' rights by heavily drugging and improperly restraining them and failing to provide appropriate treatment. The state settled, agreeing to an extensive court-supervised improvement plan at four hospitals with more than 4,000 patients. But a Times investigation found that the plan has failed to achieve the Justice Department's main objective: to raise the level of care so patients could control their violent tendencies and would not be institutionalized any longer than necessary.

17 Apr 2012

Men more likely to experience complications after brain or spinal surgery

Men are twice as likely as women to experience complications after brain or spinal surgery, reports a study in the April issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

16 Apr 2012

Immunotherapy may also help elderly cancer patients

Cancer is much more likely in the elderly than the young, and their bodies often are less prepared to fight the disease and the often-toxic side effects of treatment.

16 Apr 2012

Tool predicts response to platinum-based chemotherapy in ovarian cancer

A DNA repair pathway-focused score has the potential to help determine if first-line platinum based chemotherapy can benefit advanced-stage ovarian cancer patients, according to a study published April 13 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

16 Apr 2012

Implantable device with alert modes warns users about potential heart attack

More than 30% of the one million heart attack victims in the United States each year die before seeking medical attention. Although widespread education campaigns describe the warning signs of a heart attack, the average time from the onset of symptoms to arrival at the hospital has remained at 3 hours for more than 10 years.

16 Apr 2012

Neurosurgeons from NYU Langone to present at AANS annual meeting

Neurosurgeons from NYU Langone Medical Center will present research and discuss surgical approaches and use of new technologies to treat neurosurgical conditions at the annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), held April 14-18, 2012 in Miami Beach, FL.

16 Apr 2012

SMART Heart improves cardiovascular surgical outcomes

Two years ago, 57-year-old Allus Brown underwent a simultaneous heart-kidney transplant and spent months in and out of the hospital after battling dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that enlarges and weakens the heart. Now fully recovered, Brown is still in and out of Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute each week. Only nowadays when he visits, he's laughing it up, playing board games, and sharing accounts of his own struggles with heart disease as part of the Bluhm Institute's new and innovative program, SMART Heart, stress management and recreational therapy for heart patients.

16 Apr 2012

Daily Monitor analysis examines history of male circumcision debate

In this Daily Monitor analysis, Joseph Matovu, Rhoda Wanyenze and David Serwadda, all lecturers at Makerere University School of Public Health in Kampala, Uganda, respond to two articles related to male circumcision that were published in the Daily Monitor in March.

16 Apr 2012

CT guided transthoracic fine needle aspiration might diagnose pulmonary nodules

Screening for lung cancer with low dose CT scans has been shown to save lives. However, research shows that when CT scans reveal nodules in the lungs, it is not cancerous 96 percent of the time. As a result, scientists are looking for ways to more accurately make a diagnosis. One way is by using a CT guided transthoracic fine needle aspiration.

16 Apr 2012

Chin implants fastest growing plastic surgery trend among all major demographics

New statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) show that chin augmentation is the fastest growing plastic surgery trend among all major demographics -- a phenomenon which appears, in part, to be sparked by increased usage of video chat technology, an aging baby boomer population and a desire for success in the workplace.

16 Apr 2012

New technique could help improve prognosis of patients with brain cancers

Like special-forces troops laser-tagging targets for a bomber pilot, tiny particles that can be imaged three different ways at once have enabled Stanford University School of Medicine scientists to remove brain tumors from mice with unprecedented accuracy.

16 Apr 2012