When most weight loss methods have failed, most people turn to bariatric surgery. According to a new study, going under the knife for weight loss reasons can actually expand the lifespan of severely obese adults. A group of doctors tracked 2,500 individuals who underwent bariatric surgery between 2000 and 2011 as a part of the … Read more
In August 2014, a Louisiana Tech research team unveiled 3D printed prototypes intended to help injured individuals avoid the operating room. Made on an off-the-shelf 3D printer, these medical implants can be printed in different shapes and sizes and, as a result, they can be used in a variety of situations. According to Jeffrey Weisman, … Read more
Although new heart technology and surgery procedures are becoming more and more commonplace, that doesn’t make them any less remarkable – just ask any patient with the Reveal LINQ Insertable Cardiac Monitor. The state-of-the-art device continuously records the heart’s activity and is smaller than an AAA battery. Implementation requires a small incision that can be … Read more
A cutting edge medical procedure, touted as the “future of heart surgery”, is now available in Clay County, Florida. According to Dr. Nathan Bates, the director of cardiothoracic and vascular surgery at Orange Park Medical Center, the new procedure is a big deal because it’s a minimally invasive way to fix the mitral valve – … Read more
For the first time, neurosurgeons have combined real-time MRI technology with non-invasive cellular mapping techniques to develop a new approach to biopsies. The new approach increases the accuracy of diagnosis for brain cancer patients, and allows surgeons to visualize the parts of the brain tumor that contain different cell densities. According to Clark C. Chen, … Read more
In order to meet the healthcare industry’s growing demand for cervical spine procedure solutions, Medline Industries, Inc. has acquired an anterior cervical fusion distraction pin business from Amendia; a recognized leader in providing medical devices used in spinal surgical procedures. Currently, the United States has the highest rate of spine surgery in the world – … Read more
In an effort to better assist surgical technologists and surgeons alike, technology in the form of robots have been incorporated into the operating room of a Colorado medical center. Not only does the robot assist surgeons, but the technology allows for patients to undergo fewer incisions, feel less pain, and experience less scarring. Since the … Read more
Epilepsy, the fourth most common neurological disease in the world, affects over nine million people in developed countries alone. Although drug therapy is successful in controlling seizures in about 70 percent of patients, a third of epileptics don’t respond to medication and find themselves undergoing invasive surgery that essentially removes the part of the brain … Read more
In February, a lawmaker in California introduced legislation which would establish minimum education and certification standards for surgical technologists in the state – good news for students currently enrolled in surgical technology courses. Although many hospitals, surgery centers and other centers currently prefer educated and certified applicants, there are no minimum rules enforced in the … Read more
A team of scientists from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Arizona have teamed together to create a pair of high-tech glasses that can help surgical technologists visualize cancer cells during surgeries. When using these high-tech glasses, cancer cells will glow blue when viewed through the glasses. The technology … Read more