News by Subject Medicine & Health

An inexpensive program to help surgery patients get physically and mentally ready for their upcoming operation may help reduce overall costs and get them home faster, according to new research involving hundreds of patients in 21 hospitals.

A virtual system for in-home physical therapy (PT) provides good outcomes for patients undergoing rehabilitation following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) -- with lower costs than traditional in-person PT, reports a study in the Jan. 15, 2020, issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio in partnership with Wolters Kluwer.

A new study led by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital finds that 6-to-12 months after traumatic injury, rates of chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other poor physical and mental health outcomes were alarmingly high among survivors of firearm violence -- even higher than among survivors who had sustained similar injuries in motor vehicle crashes.

Black patients undergoing lumbar (lower) spinal fusion surgery have worse outcomes -- including higher complication rates, more hospital days, and higher costs -- compared to white patients, suggests a study in Spine. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

A study involving tens of thousands of bariatric surgery patients found that gastric bypass patients were significantly more likely than gastric sleeve patients to end up back in the hospital in the years following surgery.

Patients with colorectal cancer have a greater chance of survival if they are operated in hospitals with a high case load. This is because complications that can occur after surgery can be better managed there.

The timing of knee replacement surgery is critical to optimize its benefit. But 90% of patients with knee osteoarthritis who would potentially benefit from knee replacement are waiting too long to have it and getting less benefit, reports a new study. In addition, about 25% of patients who don't need it are having it prematurely when the benefit is minimal, the study found. African-Americans delayed knee replacement surgery more than Caucasians.