Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Surgery for May 2018. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
THURSDAY, May 31, 2018 -- The first artificial iris has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for patients with aniridia.
THURSDAY, May 31, 2018 -- The widespread shortages of injectable opioids and small-volume parenteral (SVP) solutions are jeopardizing patient care and placing a strain on hospital operations, according to a report published by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).
WEDNESDAY, May 30, 2018 -- BRCA1/BRCA2 germline mutation carriers with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have worse survival after resection, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
FRIDAY, May 25, 2018 -- Long-term mortality after congenital heart surgery is higher than that of the general population for all forms of congenital heart defects (CHDs), according to a study published in the May 29 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
THURSDAY, May 24, 2018 -- Patients served by the beleaguered Veterans Affairs health system may have wider access to private care, thanks to a bill approved Wednesday by the Senate. President Donald Trump is known to support the bill, which now awaits his signature.
THURSDAY, May 24, 2018 -- Regional anesthesia is associated with a lower opioid consumption in both knee and hip replacement surgeries, compared to general anesthesia, according to a study published May 14 in PAIN Practice.
THURSDAY, May 24, 2018 -- There is considerable global variation in personal health care access and quality, according to a study published online May 23 in The Lancet.
TUESDAY, May 22, 2018 -- Readmissions are higher in homeless veterans discharged to the community after surgery, compared to housed veterans, according to a study published in the June issue of Medical Care.
TUESDAY, May 22, 2018 -- Overall, 9.1 percent of individuals in the United States were uninsured in 2017, which was not significantly different from the level in 2016, according to a report published online May 22 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Centers for Health Statistics.
MONDAY, May 21, 2018 -- Doptelet (avatrombopag) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adults with chronic liver disease who are slated to have a medical or dental procedure.
MONDAY, May 21, 2018 -- Patterns of potential opioid misuse are positively associated with subsequent opioid overdose, according to a study published online May 22 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
MONDAY, May 21, 2018 -- Implementation of a perioperative surgical site infection prevention bundle may reduce the rate of surgical site infection among patients undergoing hysterectomy, according to a study published online May 7 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
FRIDAY, May 18, 2018 -- Stigmatizing language used in medical records to describe patients can influence medical students and residents in terms of their attitudes towards the patient and their clinical decision-making, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
FRIDAY, May 18, 2018 -- The drug abuse epidemic in the United States has been associated with an increase in the recovery of organs from brain-dead donors, according to a research letter published in the May 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
FRIDAY, May 18, 2018 -- For patients undergoing resection of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM), the presence of the V600E BRAF mutation is associated with worse prognosis, according to a study published online May 16 in JAMA Surgery.
FRIDAY, May 18, 2018 -- Breath analysis shows potential for noninvasive diagnosis of esophagogastric cancer (OGC), according to a study published online May 17 in JAMA Oncology.
WEDNESDAY, May 16, 2018 -- A nonprofit manufacturer could help keep generic drug prices down and maintain their supply, according to a perspective piece published in the May 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
WEDNESDAY, May 16, 2018 -- Participants with an advanced adenoma at diagnostic colonoscopy have increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) relative to those with no adenoma, according to a study published in the May 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
WEDNESDAY, May 16, 2018 -- Best practices have been developed for using electronic health records (EHRs) to enhance patient-centered care, according to an article published online in Medical Economics.
TUESDAY, May 15, 2018 -- For pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery, early postoperative acetaminophen exposure may be associated with a reduced rate of acute kidney injury (AKI), according to a study published online May 14 in JAMA Pediatrics.
TUESDAY, May 15, 2018 -- An algorithm can be used to model and print a three-dimensional (3-D) prosthesis of a human nose, according to a study published online May 10 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
MONDAY, May 14, 2018 -- From 2007 to 2016, the rate of deaths from falls among older adults increased by an average of 3.0 percent per year, according to research published in the May 11 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
FRIDAY, May 11, 2018 -- Hemorrhage control training for laypersons is the most efficacious method for controlling hemorrhaging, according to a study published online May 9 in JAMA Surgery.
THURSDAY, May 10, 2018 -- For patients with acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, percutaneous vertebroplasty does not result in significantly greater pain relief than a sham procedure at 12 months, according to a study published online May 9 in The BMJ.
WEDNESDAY, May 9, 2018 -- A substantial number of surgeons performing hysterectomies have low procedural volumes, according to a study published online May 9 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
WEDNESDAY, May 9, 2018 -- For nursing home (NH) residents with dementia and hip fracture, surgical hip fracture repair is associated with lower mortality, according to a study published online May 7 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
WEDNESDAY, May 9, 2018 -- Crowdfunding campaigns for unproven stem cell-based interventions tend to exaggerate the efficacy and underemphasize the risks, according to a research letter published in the May 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
WEDNESDAY, May 9, 2018 -- For children undergoing procedural sedation for a painful procedure, fasting duration is not associated with adverse events, according to a study published online May 7 in JAMA Pediatrics.
TUESDAY, May 8, 2018 -- Regulatory requirements are likely to be an important aspect of physician dissatisfaction with electronic health records (EHRs) that is driving burnout, according to an Ideas and Opinions piece published online May 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
TUESDAY, May 8, 2018 -- The number of years of life lost (YLLs) due to police violence in the United States is substantial and disproportionately impacts young people of color, according to a study published online May 7 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
TUESDAY, May 8, 2018 -- For patients with a fibula free tissue transfer (FFTT) for osteoradionecrosis (ORN) and osteonecrosis (ON) of the mandible, the rate of complications is similar for patients undergoing primary and secondary dental implantation, according to a study published online May 3 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
MONDAY, May 7, 2018 -- The rates of severe maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality are elevated with attempted vaginal delivery after single prior cesarean delivery, according to a study published in the May 7 issue of CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
FRIDAY, May 4, 2018 -- Many organizations are not meeting the trial registration and results reporting requirements clarified by "The Final Rule," which had a compliance date of April 18, 2017, according to a study published online May 1 in BMC Medicine.
THURSDAY, May 3, 2018 -- Many patients undergoing elective same-day or inpatient joint and spine surgery have unused opioids at one- and six-month follow-up, according to a study published online April 17 in Anesthesia & Analgesia.
THURSDAY, May 3, 2018 -- The introduction of public reporting of surgeon specific 90-day postoperative mortality in elective colorectal cancer surgery is associated with a reduction in observed 90-day mortality, according to a study published online May 2 in The BMJ.
WEDNESDAY, May 2, 2018 -- For patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer, the status of lymph nodes following preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiation therapy determines survival, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, held from April 28 to May 1 in San Diego.
TUESDAY, May 1, 2018 -- Physicians should be aware of the correct protocol for, as well as the laws involved in, firing employees, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
TUESDAY, May 1, 2018 -- Multiple exposures to anesthesia before the age of 3 years may have neuropsychological impacts, though intelligence does not appear to be affected, according to a study published online April 18 in Anesthesiology.
TUESDAY, May 1, 2018 -- Perioperative major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) are more common among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), according to a study published online April 4 in Diabetes Care.