Surgery/Specialties Editor's Note Harvard researchers have created the first 3-D printed heart-on-a-chip capable of collecting data on how reliably a heart is beating, and how a heart responds to drugs and toxins, the October 25 Gizmodo reports. The 3-D printed organ is made of synthetic material designed to mimic the structure…
Editor's Note Total knee patients in enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs have less pain and recuperate faster, finds this study presented October 23 at the Anesthesiology 2016 annual meeting. The study, from Rush University Medical Center (Chicago), included 243 total knee patients, who were provided a combination of postoperative…
Editor's Note In a study on mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have shown that a coating made with antibiotic-releasing nanofibers can prevent bacterial infections after total joint surgery. After 14 days, mice that received implants without the antibiotic coating all had bacteria in infected tissue around the joint, and 80% had…
Editor's Note Implementing the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model resulted in improved patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, and shorter hospital stays in this study presented October 22 at the Anesthesiology 2016 annual meeting. The study included 1,356 patients who had total knee, hip, or shoulder replacements. Half received care under the…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on October 24 categorized HeartWare Inc’s recall of its HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device Pumps as Class I, the most serious. The recall is because of a design problem with the driveline connector that connects the pump to the external controller and power source.…
Editor's Note Researchers from the University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, have developed a risk prediction tool, called a “nomogram,” that uses a scoring system to determine a patient’s risk for returning to the surgical ICU within 72 hours after discharge. The study was presented October 20…
Editor's Note Only half of departments of surgery in the US have established mentorship programs, and most are informal, unstructured, and do not involve all of the key stakeholders, this study finds. Of 155 chairs of departments of surgery surveyed 76 responded, for a 49% response rate. A total of…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on October 18 announced that Ohio Specialty Surgical Suites in North Canton, Ohio, is the first ambulatory surgical center to achieve its Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement. The advanced certification focuses on: The continuum of care through all phases of the…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on October 13 updated its Safety Alert on the Stӧckert 3T Heater-Cooler System by LivaNova to provide new information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about Mycobacterium chimaera infections associated with the use of the system in US patients…
Editor's Note A study presented at the 2016 American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeons Annual Meeting found that total ankle replacements performed in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) were about $4,000 less than those performed in inpatient facilities, the October Orthopedics Today reports. The 4-year study included 574 total ankle replacements…
