UroToday.com - The treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) makes up a significant amount of the workload of most urologists. The traditional approach of trans urethral resection of the prostate (TURP) has been the mainstay of surgery for this condition for over half a century, and would probably be considered to be the quintessential urological operation…

Sexual problems are frequent after operations for carcinoma of the rectum. Christian Schmidt et al. describe the consequences for quality of life in the current issue of Deutsches Arzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107[8]: 123-30). In Germany, each year more than 70,000 people develop colorectal carcinoma. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of tumor surgery on quality of life and sexual function. Data from 368 patients were available to the authors…

A research team led by Mayo Clinic has found a national trend toward younger, more diverse patients having total knee replacement surgery. The findings were presented today at the 2010 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in New Orleans. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Hospital Discharge Survey were compared for 1990-1994 and 2002-2006 for patients having total knee replacements (also known as total knee arthroplasty). About 800,000 procedures were performed in 1990-1994, and 2.1 million in 2002-2006…

The ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in uniquely destructive patterns of combat injuries, including limb-threatening injuries to the knee. In the March special issue of Techniques in Knee Surgery military surgeons serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom share their experience with managing these high-energy injuries of the knee…

For patients who are living with a heart problem, the option of surgical treatment can be just as terrifying as their current condition. From aortic aneurysms to Heart Valve Replacement Surgery, Open Heart Surgery is a serious procedure that has definite risks to the patient’s health. However, with a great team of talented and experienced cardiothoracic surgeons, patients who need heart valve replacement surgery can go into surgery feeling confident…

Recent studies show that more women with cancer in one breast are opting for removal of both breasts, even though removal of the healthy breast does little to improve survival rates, New York Times columnist Tara Parker-Pope writes. In 2006, roughly 6% of women who underwent surgery for breast cancer chose to remove both the cancerous and healthy breasts, a procedure known as contralateral prophylactic mastectomy, Pope says…

The frequency of post-operative complications following surgery for liver cancer is associated with a hospital having a low volume of liver surgery. Investigators at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) are presenting that finding at the 63rd Annual Society of Surgical Oncology Symposium taking place this week in St. Louis. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School…

For some Canadians, any cut such as from dental work or surgery can cause days or more of bleeding. Although they are not hemophiliacs, for some an ordinary bruise can balloon into the size of an orange. For others, knees, elbows and ankles are crippled when bleeding seeps into joints. In very serious cases, hundreds of blood transfusions are required for recovery. Now a team led by McMaster University hematologist Dr. Catherine Hayward has discovered the genetic cause of Quebec Platelet Disorder (QPD)…

Porter Adventist Hospital is among the first in the country to receive designation as Blue Distinction Centers in two surgical services that have recently been added to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s expansion of its Blue Distinction® designation. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has designated Porter as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine SurgerySM and as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip ReplacementSM for demonstrating commitment to quality care in surgery and better overall outcomes for patients. St…

Psychosurgery is making a comeback. Recently published case series have shown encouraging results of so-called deep brain stimulation (DBS) in treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder, depressive disorders, and Tourette syndrome. In the current issue of Deutsches Arzteblatt International, authors Jens Kuhn (University of Cologne) and Theo P J Gründer (Max Planck Institute, Cologne) and their co-authors provide an introduction to the method (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107(7)105-13)…