Surgery Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Adding Immunotherapy to Chemotherapy After Surgery Improves Survival in Colon Cancer

The AHA! Team — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 05:43:16 +0000

Mayo Clinic via News-Medical – Colon cancer is the third most prevalent form of cancer in the U.S., and while screening has helped detect and prevent colon cancer from spreading, major advancements in treating colon cancer have lagged. Now, new research led by Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center found that adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy after surgery for patients with stage 3 (node-positive) colon cancer – and with a specific genetic makeup called deficient DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) – was associated with a 50% reduction in cancer recurrence and death compared to chemotherapy alone. Approximately 15% of people diagnosed with colon cancer exhibit dMMR and, to date, these tumors appear less sensitive to chemotherapy. The results of the multi-center study were presented during a plenary session at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago. “The findings from our study represent a major advance in the adjuvant treatment of dMMR stage 3 colon cancer and will now change the treatment for this type of cancer,” says oncologist Frank Sinicrope, M.D., who led the study. “It’s extremely rewarding to be able to offer our patients a new treatment regimen that can reduce the risk of recurrence and improve their chances of survival.” Until now, the standard treatment after surgery for any stage 3 colon cancer has been chemotherapy. However, the researchers note that approximately 30% of patients experience cancer recurrence despite this treatment. The clinical trial enrolled 712 patients with dMMR stage 3 colon cancer that had been surgically removed and who had cancer cells in their lymph nodes. The immunotherapy given in this study was an immune checkpoint inhibitor, known as atezolizumab, which activates one’s immune system to attack and kill cancer cells, which are responsible for cancer recurrence and spread. The patients – who lived in the U.S. and Germany – received chemotherapy for six months along with immunotherapy and then continued with immunotherapy alone for another six months. Dr. Sinicrope and others previously studied patients with colon cancer whose cells are unable to repair errors during DNA replication that create a nucleotide mismatch, a condition called dMMR. They noted that these patients’ tumors showed a striking increase in inflammatory cells within the tumor, including those that express the target of immune checkpoint inhibitors. This sparked the idea of using immune checkpoint inhibitors to make the immune cells more effective in attacking and killing the cancer cells. Based on the data from this study, Dr. Sinicrope recommends this combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy treatment to be the new standard treatment for stage 3 deficient mismatch repair colon cancer. The research team plans to approach the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a nonprofit organization consisting of 33 leading cancer centers, including Mayo Clinic, with this recommendation. The study included patients with Lynch syndrome, the most common form of hereditary colon cancer, as these patients can have tumors that show deficient mismatch repair (dMMR). We’re changing the paradigm in colon cancer treatment. By using immunotherapy at earlier stages of disease, we are achieving meaningful benefits for our patients.” -Frank Sinicrope, M.D., Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center Source: Mayo Clinic To read the original article click here.

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5 Things to Know About Acoustic Neuroma Surgery

The AHA! Team — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 08:33:14 +0000

Duke Health – Acoustic neuromas (also known as vestibular schwannomas) are a noncancerous type of skull base tumor, which grow just below the brain. Acoustic neuromas (also known as vestibular schwannomas) are a noncancerous type of skull base tumor, which grow just below the brain. More specifically, acoustic neuromas form on the vestibulocochlear nerve that controls balance and hearing. While removing these tumors can completely cure symptoms, their location is highly sensitive and requires an expert surgical approach. Here, Duke Health specialists discuss what you should expect if you need acoustic neuroma surgery. 1. Acoustic Neuroma Surgery Can Be Risky Removing acoustic neuromas is challenging because of their location. “The nerves that help move the eyes, the nerves that allow you to feel your face, move your face, chew food, taste food, hear — all of those are packed into a very small space at the base of the skull” said Duke neurosurgeon Ali Zomorodi, MD. “To treat a tumor in this area, you need to be able to work very delicately and precisely around some very sensitive neurological and vascular structures.” 2. When to Choose Acoustic Neuroma Surgery While you may be eager to be rid of your acoustic neuroma, your age, the tumor’s size and location, as well as the severity of your symptoms will help determine whether surgery is your best option. You may be better off waiting and watching. 3. There Are Three Main Approaches to Acoustic Neuroma Surgery There are three main approaches to surgically removing acoustic neuromas that grow within the skull base (doctors call this lateral skull base tumor surgery). The surgical approach that is recommended for you will depend on the size of your tumor, its location within the skull base, and the status of your hearing. The middle fossa approach accesses the tumor from above the ear. This option is best for smaller tumors, and it is used to try to preserve hearing. The retrosigmoid approach accesses the tumor from behind the ear. This option can be used for tumors of any size, and it may also help preserve hearing. The translabyrinthine approach accesses the tumor through the temporal bone behind the ear. It is considered when tumors are very large or when significant hearing loss has already occurred because it leaves little or no chance of hearing preservation. 4. What to Expect Before, During, and After Acoustic Neuroma Surgery Before surgery, your first stop is a pre-operative check where your vitals will be monitored. You’ll also speak with an anesthesiologist and your surgeon. Assuming everything looks good, you’ll be transferred to the operating room. The surgery usually lasts between six and eight hours. Your Duke Health surgical team will include a neurosurgeon and a neurotologist, which is a specialized ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon who treats complex ear and hearing issues and neurological-related inner ear concerns. The role of the neurotologist is to surgically expose the tumor and assist in its removal, according to Duke’s Calhoun Cunningham, MD. The neurosurgeon’s role is to remove the tumor, dissecting it “away from important nerve structures as well as from the brain itself,” Dr. Cunningham said. Finally, the ENT surgeon/neurotologist closes everything back up. After surgery, you’ll recover in a special neurosurgery intensive care unit (ICU) before moving to a step-down unit, usually the next day. Most people return home after about five days in the hospital, but full recovery takes up to eight weeks. 5. Choosing a Hospital for Acoustic Neuroma Surgery If you need acoustic neuroma surgery, keep these considerations in mind, said Drs. Zomorodi and Cunningham. Find a center that routinely performs complex skull base tumor surgery. Also, look for a specialized team approach to care, meaning you’ll have access to an ENT, a neurosurgeon, and other specialists, including radiation oncologists, neuroradiologists, audiologists, physical therapists, and speech pathologists. “If we do everything we can and do a great job, the patient can be healed,” said Dr. Zomorodi. “They don’t have to worry about this tumor anymore. They can carry on with their lives, and this will become a distant memory. Our goal is to minimize the impact that the tumor and its treatment will have on their quality of life.” To read the original article click here.

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Research Identifies Best Materials for Long-Lasting Hip Implants

The AHA! Team — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 06:24:40 +0000

University of Bristol via News-Medical – The aim of the study was to establish hip implant materials at risk of revision to help orthopedic surgeons, and patients, and to improve shared decision making before surgery by identifying hip implants with the lowest risk of revision. Hip implants with a delta ceramic or oxidized zirconium head and highly crosslinked polyethylene liner or cup had the lowest risk of revision during the 15 years after surgery, a new study led by the University of Bristol has found. The research could help hospitals, surgeons and patients to choose what hip implant to use for replacement surgery. The aim of the study was to establish hip implant materials at risk of revision to help orthopedic surgeons, and patients, and to improve shared decision making before surgery by identifying hip implants with the lowest risk of revision. The independently conducted research, published in PLOS Medicine today [7 November], was funded by CeramTec and was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (Bristol BRC). The researchers analyzed National Joint Registry (NJR) data from 1,026,481 hip replacement patients carried out in the NHS and private sectors in England and Wales for up to 15 years after initial hip replacement operations (between 2003 to 2019). After reviewing hip implants from the NJR data, the research team found the risk of revision following a hip replacement is influenced by the type of material used in the bearing surface. Bearing surfaces are the moving parts of an artificial hip joint that glide against each other during activity. The data indicated hip implants with a delta ceramic or oxidised zirconium head and highly crosslinked polyethylene liner or cup had the lowest risk of revision throughout the 15 years following hip replacement surgery. These findings were confirmed when the research team investigated the specific reasons for revision hip replacements being performed. The data also showed 20,869 (2 per cent) of hip replacement patients had to undergo revision after the initial surgery. Dr Erik Lenguerrand, Senior Lecturer in Medical Statistics and Quantitative Epidemiologist in the Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences (THS) at the University of Bristol, and a senior author on the paper, said: “Our research has found the risk of hip replacement revision depends on the hip implant materials used in the original surgery. The lowest risk of revision are from implants with delta ceramic or oxidised zirconium head and a highly crosslinked polyethylene (HCLPE) liner or cup.” “Further research is needed to find out the association of implant materials with the risk of rehospitalization, re-operation other than revision, mortality and the cost-effectiveness of these materials.” The risk of hip replacement revision depends on the hip implant materials used in the original surgery Michael Whitehouse, Professor of Trauma and Orthopaedics at Bristol Medical School: THS, and senior clinical lead for the paper, explained: “Our study has used data from one of the largest registries in the world that includes all public and private health care sectors in England and Wales. This means that the data is more generally applicable than that available previously, which was limited by broad groupings of implant types or much smaller study size. It highlights the importance of considering the whole structure that is created when implants are put together to make up a hip replacement rather than focusing on individual components. “Our findings will help hospitals, surgeons and patients to choose hip implants and combinations of them with the lowest risk of revision following an initial hip replacement operation.” “We are always delighted when the data from the NJR can be used by researchers to produce important research of this kind which gives meaningful analysis to guide surgeons and patients in their decisions. An important value of the NJR data is that it allows researchers a unique insight to assess the long-term performance of different hip implant materials. By tracking the combinations of materials used and subsequent revision rates, this research highlights the role of implant material choice in surgical outcomes. This ensures that the materials used can be optimized for longevity and patient health. Surgeons would be well advised to study these findings carefully in relation to the implant choices they make, and to use the information in pre-operative discussions with their patients. As the demand for joint replacements continues to rise, this insight can be invaluable in reducing revision surgery.” -Tim Wilton, Medical Director of the National Joint Registry (NJR) The research was not a randomized controlled trial The research was not a randomized controlled trial and therefore it was not possible to control all factors that can influence the risk of revision. The categorization of hip implants used as part of hip replacements is often broad in national joint replacement surgery registries and does not fully show differences in revision risks associated within the different types of implant materials grouped together. Joint replacement surgery is used to treat a variety of musculoskeletal problems including osteoarthritis and acute trauma is a common and very effective surgical procedure, with over 110,000 performed annually in the United Kingdom. By 2060, the demand for joint replacement will increase by almost 40 per cent from current levels. Joint replacements are long-lasting, with over half of hip and knee replacements lasting over 25 years. The research team would like to thank the patients and staff of all the hospitals in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland who have contributed data to the NJR, along with the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership, the NJR Research Committee, and staff at the NJR for facilitating the research. Source: University of Bristol Journal reference: Whitehouse, M. R., et al. (2024). The association of bearing surface materials with the risk of revision following primary total hip replacement: A cohort analysis of 1,026,481 hip replacements from the National Joint Registry. PLOS Medicine. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004478. To read the original article click here.

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NEW VIDEO: Beat Cancer By Balancing Your Autonomic Nervous System

AHA Publisher — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 08:00:13 +0000

Edit Lang via NaturalHealth365 – For the past eighteen months, an invisible virus – COVID-19 – has gotten all the spotlight. It is as if the top chronic diseases that claim the most lives in America – including heart disease and cancer – were put on the back burner. But tragically, one in six people dies from cancer each year, with one in three developing the disease in their lifetime. Upon diagnosis, most people are told the only way to “fight” cancer is by using some combination of Western medicine’s invasive or toxic cancer treatment modalities – chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. However, no one tells these newly diagnosed patients that conventional cancer treatments may be more deadly than the disease itself. Few are aware that one of the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation is the formation of new cancers! Thankfully, there are alternatives to the all-allopathic route. In a captivating new video, Jonathan Landsman of NaturalHealth365 interviews Mary Beth Gonzalez, wife of Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, offering hope to everyone battling cancer and anyone wanting to prevent it. Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez: Balancing the Autonomic Nervous System Can Help Fight Off Cancer Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez was a classically trained immunologist. Many years ago, when he worked at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the research lab as a medical student, he learned about the pioneering work of Dr. William Donald Kelly. He was so inspired by what he saw that he dedicated years of his life researching how Dr. Kelly’s tailored and unique nutritional program can balance one’s autonomic nervous system to fight off disease. (Listen carefully to the video below to learn more.) Restore Your Autonomic Balance With the Foods You Eat Science has long established that the autonomic nervous system runs our bodies with its two branches, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Dr. Gonzalez believed that we could affect the autonomic balance for better or worse with the foods we eat. As a result, our food choices profoundly impact whether we develop the diseases people fear the most, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. And for anyone wanting to heal from severe chronic diseases, it is crucial to follow the right diet. The tricky part is knowing which diet is the best one for you. Dr. Gonzalez did not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to diet and nutrition and a single best way of eating to help people heal from cancer. Instead, his protocol includes a tailored diet plan that is specific to each patient’s needs. Discover the Gonzalez Roadmap to Wellness and Help Your Body Heal Dr. Gonzalez developed two different paths to wellness to help his patients heal. The first one, the Gonzalez Metabolic Type Test – which patients can take online – focuses on nourishing the body with the right foods to heal itself. The protocol empowers patients to take charge of their health instead of relying on doctors to “fix” their problems. The purpose of this online test is to provide a roadmap by identifying patients’ metabolic types to help them get started on their healing journey. The second path to wellness, Gonzalez Guardians, is for those who experience symptoms that require a doctor’s care. Regardless of where you are on your healing journey, it is critical to do your research and have an open mind. Conventional treatment modalities are by far not the only way to restore your health. Giving your body the fuel it needs may just speed up your healing. Sources for this article include: TheGonzalezProtocol.com Rumble.com To read the original article click here.

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A Smart Polymer That Would Heal Wounds Without Sutures

AHA Publisher — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 08:00:52 +0000

Brian Blum via Israel21c – It’s long been a staple of science fiction to mock the simple suture as outdated. And why not – the wound-closure technique has been in use for at least 5,000 years. Prof. Hossam Haick’s chemical engineering lab at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology has created a smart suture-less dressing that binds the edges of a wound together, wards off infection, and even digitally reports on the wound’s condition to the surgeon. The dressing would be applied to the area before a surgical incision is made. Following the surgery, the two ends of the wound bind together within three seconds. The dressing can release antibiotics to help prevent infection, and it is connected wirelessly to the medical team’s smart devices. The smart dressing can deliver real-time reports on changes in temperature, pH and glucose levels. Haick says he came up with the idea late one night after “watching a movie on futuristic robotics with my kids. I thought, what if we could really make self-repairing sensors?” Haick got to work on his idea the next day. But there was a problem: The sensor was not biocompatible, meaning that it couldn’t be used in contact with skin and blood. Creating a polymer that would be both biocompatible and self-healing was achieved by Haick’s postdoctoral student Ning Tang. Tang’s polymer is like a molecular zipper made from sulfur and nitrogen. The surgeon’s scalpel opens it, then when pressed together it closes and holds fast. Integrated carbon nanotubes provide electric conductivity and integrate the sensor array. In lab experiments, wounds closed with the smart dressing healed as fast as those closed with sutures. Moreover, they showed reduced rates of infection. “We’ve introduced the advances of the fourth industrial revolution – smart interconnected devices,” Haick says. “It’s a new approach to wound treatment.” He reports that the technology is now patented. “We have started discussions with a few agencies towards bringing this technology to the market.” Haick is a prolific inventor. ISRAEL21c first wrote about him in 2013 when he developed Na-Nose, a device that can detect various cancers through a simple in-office breath test. Next came “e-skin” and wearable health monitors. Earlier this year, we reported on the A-Patch, a skin sticker that can diagnose tuberculosis. This was developed in Haick’s lab and supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The invention is described in the journal Advanced Materials. To read the original article click here.

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Thin, Stretchable Biosensors Could Make Surgery Safer

AHA Publisher — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 07:00:20 +0000

Los Alamos National Laboratory via Newswise – A research team from Los Alamos National Laboratory and Purdue University have developed bio-inks for biosensors that could help localize critical regions in tissues and organs during surgical operations. “The ink used in the biosensors is biocompatible and provides a user-friendly design with excellent workable time frames of more than one day,” said Kwan-Soo Lee, of Los Alamos’ Chemical Diagnostics and Engineering group. The new biosensors allow for simultaneous recording and imaging of tissues and organs during surgical procedures. “Simultaneous recording and imaging could be useful during heart surgery in localizing critical regions and guiding surgical interventions such as a procedure for restoring normal heart rhythms,” said Chi Hwan Lee, the Leslie A. Geddes Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and, by courtesy, of Materials Engineering at Purdue University. Los Alamos was responsible for formulating and synthesizing the bio-inks, with the goal of creating create an ultra-soft, thin and stretchable material for biosensors that is capable of seamlessly interfacing with the surface of organs. They did this using 3D-printing techniques. “Silicone materials are liquid and flow like honey, which is why it is very challenging to 3D-print without sagging and flowing issues during printing,” Kwan-Soo Lee said. “It is very exciting to have found a way to create printed inks that do not have any shape deformation during the curing process.” The bio-inks are softer than tissue, stretch without experiencing sensor degradation, and have reliable natural adhesion to the wet surface of organs without needing additional adhesives. Craig Goergen, the Leslie A. Geddes Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University, aided with the in vivo assessment of the patch via testing in both mice and pigs. The results showed the biosensor was able to reliably measure electrical signal while not impairing cardiac function. The research was published today in Nature Communications. It was funded by Science Campaign 2. To read the original article click here.

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In First, Doctors Use AR and 3D Tech in Eye-Socket Surgery

AHA Publisher — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 08:00:51 +0000

Naama Barak via Israel21c – In a first-of-its-kind surgery, doctors in northern Israel recently used augmented reality and 3D technology to repair a fracture in the floor of the eye socket of a young patient with optimal clinical results. The 31-year-old patient’s severe injury was causing double vision and impaired the symmetry and aesthetics of his eyes. Prior to the surgery at the Galilee Medical Center, doctors created a 3D model of the patient’s skull and designed and printed out a titanium plate made according to his CT imaging. During the surgery, one of the surgeons wore Microsoft HoloLens augmented reality glasses that projected the software model of the skull and plate onto the patient’s head. This enabled him to place the real-life plate in perfect overlap with the model. The operation lasted 1.5 hours and the patient went home within a few days. “The innovative technology utilizing a 3D printer and augmented reality resulted in both a particularly accurate execution of the operation and a significant reduction in time,” says the Galilee Medical Center’s Dr. Samer Srouji, who led the surgery. “This technology will contribute to improved clinical outcomes and reduce repeated imaging and surgeries. We feel great pride to be at the forefront of and lead in this global technology,” he added. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

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Doctors Perform Lifesaving Procedure on Baby During Birth

AHA Publisher — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 07:00:42 +0000

Abigail Klein Leichman via Israel21c – Doctors in Israel saved a newborn’s life yesterday with a rare surgical procedure performed before the boy was fully outside his mother’s body. The “ex utero intrapartum treatment” (EXIT) procedure during a Caesarean-section delivery at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center was planned when prenatal imaging revealed that the fetus’ airways were blocked by a growth. They knew the fetus would be fine until his umbilical cord was cut because the placenta provides oxygen. Once the cord is detached after birth, he would not have been able to breathe air into his lungs. A team of some 30 physicians prepared for the EXIT procedure – previously done in Israel only a few times — using a 3D-printed model of the fetus’ neck. The multidisciplinary team of doctors and nurses delivered the baby’s head and inserted a tracheal tube that bypassed the growth. When they pulled the rest of his body from the womb and cut the cord, he was able to breathe through the tube. Mother and son are reported to be in good condition. The doctors believe the airway-blocking growth may disappear on its own; otherwise it can be surgically removed. ′′I’ve been an obstetrician for over 25 years and every birth is a new source of excitement, but this was one of the special ones,” said Dr. Ariel Many, director of labor and delivery at the center’s Lis Maternity and Women’s Hospital. “To be a partner in a procedure where you’re holding the head of the fetus and treating him while he is mostly still in his mother’s womb, and then delivering this new life into the world, is a supreme, uplifting, special and touching feeling that will stay with me and the team for a long time,′′ said Many. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

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Amazing Spinal Surgery Done with Patient Fully Awake

AHA Publisher — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 07:00:07 +0000

News Staff via Israel21c – After 74-year-old David Avital fell at home, he was brought to Hadassah University Medical Center’s Ein Kerem campus in Jerusalem with several spinal fractures. He needed surgery to ease the pain and get him back on his feet. However, Avital suffers from heart and lung issues, which made general anesthesia too risky. So the Hadassah surgeons decided to do the surgery under local anesthesia. This new procedure, as far as they know, has not been attempted anywhere else but has already proven successful at Hadassah several times. Dr. Josh E. Schroeder, head of Hadassah’s surgical team for back deformities, explains: “In collaboration with the director of the Brain Catheterization Unit, Prof. José Cohen, we have begun performing complex back surgeries on patients at Hadassah while they are awake, using only local anesthesia.” With the patient lying face down, the surgeons insert screws and rods to fix the fractures under advanced imaging navigation that allows maximum accuracy with minimal incisions, said Schroeder. “Prof. Cohen and I stabilized the patient’s spine and with the constant monitoring of anesthesiologist Dr. Rawhi Hashem, we performed the operation without general anesthesia and without the need to intubate the patient, which isn’t trivial.” “This case demonstrates the modern approach to surgery,” Cohen said. “We take major surgeries and turn them into surgeries with minimal incisions and thus six hours of surgery becomes an hour, general anesthesia becomes local anesthesia, two weeks [of recovery] is shortened to two days. The risk of infections is significantly reduced.” What did the patient have to say about the procedure? “When I entered the operating room, I was very scared,” said Avital, a retired military man. “And when they explained to me that I would be awake throughout the operation I was even more stressed out. It seemed impossible to undergo major spine surgery while awake. Everyone on the team was encouraging, explaining the entire procedure. The surgery went by fast and I didn’t feel any pain at all. I am so grateful to the doctors and staff.” Avital added that he looks forward to returning to his volunteer activities soon. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

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