surgery

Patient Who Received World’s First Pig Heart Transplant Has Passed Away

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The first person to receive a heart transplant from a genetically modified pig has died two months after the medical milestone, the hospital that carried out the surgery said Wednesday.   The procedure raised hopes that advances in cross-species organ donation could one day solve the chronic shortage of human organs available for donation, and … Read more

Gruesome Skull Discovery Contains The Earliest Evidence of Ear Surgery

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An ancient skull uncovered at a 6,000-year-old megalithic monument in Spain still holds signs of what would have been a brutal ear surgery. Archaeologists suspect the patient probably had a double-sided acute middle ear infection, which can cause earaches and fevers.    Without treatment, fluid can gather behind the eardrum, possibly causing a visible lump … Read more

Personalised medicine: Australia aims to end childhood cancer deaths

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An Australian plan to eliminate childhood cancer deaths using personalised medicine will be made available to all Australian children with the condition from 2023 Health 15 February 2022 By Alice Klein DNA sequencing helps offer a personalised approach to cancer Getty Images/iStockphoto An ambitious Australian programme to use personalised medicine to reduce the number of children … Read more

Lung cancer: Cheap blood test detects tumours at an early and treatable stage

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Lung cancer screening has always been expensive, but a simple blood test that detects lipids associated with tumours may offer a cheaper alternative Health 2 February 2022 By Alice Klein Blood samples can now be used to search for early signs of lung cancer Medicimage/Alamy A blood test that can detect lung cancer before people … Read more

Robotic surgery: Robot repairs bowels of live pigs mostly autonomously

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An autonomous surgical robot joined sections of intestine together inside the abdominal cavities of live pigs, with limited intervention from human surgeons Technology 26 January 2022 By Matthew Sparkes Researcher Hamed Saeidi watches the autonomous robot perform surgery Jiawei Ge A robot has successfully carried out keyhole surgery on the bowels of pigs mostly autonomously … Read more

Surgeons Implant Pig Heart Into Human Patient in World-First Case

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US surgeons have successfully implanted a heart from a genetically modified pig in a human patient, a first-of-its-kind procedure, the University of Maryland Medical School said Monday.   The surgery took place Friday, and demonstrates for the first time that an animal heart can survive in a human without immediate rejection, the medical school said … Read more

After Surgery, Black Children Are More Likely to Die Than White Children

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Editor’s Note (12/21/21): This article is being showcased in a special collection about equity in health care that was made possible by the support of Takeda Pharmaceuticals. The article was published independently and without sponsorship. Studies have repeatedly shown that Black patients’ experiences with the U.S. health care system are worse than those of white … Read more

Cataracts and dementia: People who undergo eye surgery have lower risk of brain condition

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People who have cataracts can reduce their risk of developing dementia by about 30 per cent by undergoing surgery to restore their sight, although it’s not clear why Health 6 December 2021 By Clare Wilson Laser surgery for the treatment of cataracts IMANE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Older people who have cataract surgery to improve their eyesight … Read more

Cataract Surgery Linked to Lower Risk of Developing Dementia, Even 10 Years Later

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Cataract surgery is often undertaken to reverse the natural decline in vision as we get older. Now, a new association study underscores the wider benefits such a procedure can have on one’s health – especially when it comes to reducing dementia risk.   Cataracts are cloudy areas that develop in the lens of the eye … Read more