A new published research by urologic surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center presents evidence that a new laser technology used with robotic prostate cancer surgery may reduce the risk of damaging the crucial nerves necessary for erections and urinary continence. Published in the July online issue of the Journal of Endourology, the pilot study is the first to evaluate the CO2 laser for prostate cancer.

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Given Imaging Ltd announced that the first in-human study analyzing remote magnetic manipulation of a PillCam video capsule was published in the June 2010 edition of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy is the journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, which validates the potential of magnetic maneuvering of the PillCam capsule endoscope. “This study demonstrated two things: 1] we can maneuver capsule in humans and 2] that the procedure is painless. We believe that these results underscore the value of conducting additional clinical studies in humans,” said Dr. Paul Swain of the Imperial College, London, United Kingdom. “Remote manipulation may improve diagnostic accuracy and is essential for the future development of remote controlled therapy by video capsules,” GIVN said.

Arthroscopic surgical repair of torn anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) or meniscal cartilage injuries in the knee does not decrease the chances of developing osteoarthritis, according to a new study published in the online edition and August print issue of the journal Radiology. A decade after the initial injuries were diagnosed using MRI, localized knee osteoarthritis was evident in patients, regardless of whether or not the injuries had been surgically repaired.

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Researchers have found that less bone loss is experienced in an oral implant when a two-stage approach to surgery is used. Simultaneously inserted implants, which require one operation to transplant bone tissue and to insert implants into the jawbone, have shown excellent results. However, when the implants were inserted in a second operation about six months after the bone tissue grafts, crestal bone loss was reduced.

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Smokers who refrain from using tobacco during the six-week period following emergency surgery for an acute fracture heal more quickly than patients who continue to smoke during the healing process, according to a study published in the June 2010 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS). The study was conducted at three hospitals in Stockholm. Patients included in the program were offered one or two in-person meetings.

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Minimally invasive endoscopic sinus surgery could significantly improve the quality of life in adults with chronic rhinosinusitis, according to a new study by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) on 302 adults. Chronic rhinosinusitis is a debilitating inflammation of the nasal passages, characterized by chronic congestion, drainage, fatigue, headache, pain, pressure and sneezing, that lasts for months and keeps coming back.

Southern Illinois University researchers determined Medicare beneficiaries living in rural areas were 27% more likely than urban recipients to have total knee or hip replacement surgeries. Researchers found women were more likely than men to undergo total joint replacement surgeries. Differences in elective joint surgeries between white individuals and minorities in both rural and urban areas were observed, but were less pronounced in rural settings.

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Boston Scientific Corporation has announced the launch of its COGNIS® cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) and TELIGEN® implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in Japan. These devices were approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) in August and received reimbursement approval in September. COGNIS and TELIGEN are the result of a multi-year research and development effort to provide physicians enhanced clinical options for their patients.

According to a study published in the September 2 issue of JAMA laparoscopic uterosacral nerve ablation (LUNA) does not result in the improvements in chronic pelvic pain, painful menstruation, painful sexual intercourse or quality of life, when compared with laparoscopic surgery that does not interrupt pelvic nerve connections. The study was conducted by a team from Birmingham Women’s Hospital, University of Birmingham.

A new study shows that children born to women who have achieved drastic weight loss through stomach surgery are healthier than children born to severely obese moms. The findings suggest that obesity creates an unhealthy environment for a fetus that has ramifications later on, scientists report in the November Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Dana Dabelea, a physician and epidemiologist at the University of Colorado–Denver and the Colorado School of Public Health in Aurora said “This is the first proof that exposure to obesity in utero is associated with long-term effects.”