News by Subject Medicine & Health

Administration of nitric oxide gas during and for 24 hours following heart surgery decreased the risk of patients developing acute and chronic kidney problems, a randomized, controlled trial conducted in China found.

The majority of existing simulation studies show that the parts of the brain with high connectivity, the so-called 'hubs', are most important when it comes to several different cognitive tasks. But the results of a rare in-vivo study by Gino Del Ferraro of The City College of New York recently published in Nature demonstrates that the nucleus accumbens (NAc) -- a part of the brain with weak connections -- plays an unexpectedly influential role in enhancing the memory network.

In a new study, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital evaluated patient-reported satisfaction and well-being outcomes prior to, and two years after their initial surgery for more than 2,000 women across the United States. Researchers found that patients who underwent autologous reconstruction had greater satisfaction with their breasts, as well as a greater psychosocial and sexual well-being two years after surgery, than did those who underwent implant reconstruction.

Two studies, a commentary and podcast focus on patient outcomes after breast reconstruction surgery following mastectomy. One studied compared satisfaction and quality of life between patients who had breast reconstruction using implants or their own tissue, and a second study compared two-year complication rates across common breast reconstruction techniques.

A HKU Mechanical Engineering team led by Dr. Kwok Ka-wai recently designed the first neurosurgical robotic system capable of performing bilateral stereotactic neurosurgery inside a magnetic resonance imaging ('MRI') scanner. The team also conducted pre-clinical validation of the system with CUHK neurosurgeons, Dr Danny Chan Tat-ming and Professor Poon Wai-sang. This innovative technological breakthrough can facilitate the treatment of Parkinson's disease and other neuropsychiatric disorders.