News by Subject Medicine & Health

The English National Health Service (NHS) reduced post-operative deaths by 37.2% following the introduction of globally recognised surgical guidelines -- paving the way for life-saving action in low -- and middle-income countries (LMICs), a new study reveals.

A small study looked at whether reducing the number of opioid tablets prescribed after knee surgery would reduce postoperative use and if preoperative opioid-use education would reduce it even more. The study included 264 patients who underwent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery at a single academic ambulatory surgery center.

Patients of surgeons with higher numbers of reports from co-workers about unprofessional behavior are significantly more likely to experience complications during or after their operations, researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) reported today in JAMA Surgery.

This observational study looked at whether patients whose surgeons were more often reported by coworkers for unprofessional behavior were at greater risk of postoperative complications. The analysis included data from reports of unprofessional behavior by coworkers for 202 surgeons from two academic medical centers, as well as data on surgical and medical complications within 30 days of operation for 13,653 patients.

Surgery to straighten a deviated nasal septum, also known as septoplasty, is worthwhile. Patients with a deviated (crooked) septum breathe more easily after this operation and their quality of life improves. The effects of this procedure have never been systematically investigated. Specialists have long debated its benefits. But now, researchers at Radboud university medical center have ended the controversy on June 18 with a publication in The Lancet.

Major bleeding occurs in about 4% of surgical procedures to treat blockages in the arteries of the lower leg and leads to an increased risk of in-hospital deaths, according to a new study published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. The study found several risk factors that increase the chance of bleeding, which researchers said can help guide future efforts to reduce bleeding complications. The study is the first published research using NCDR PVI Registry data.