Friday April 22, 2011
The Ohio State Men's football and lacrosse teams are wearing stickers that say CJD on them for the spring scrimmage this Saturday. Along with the stickers the lacrosse team is also wearing green tape around their ankles.
So what is this all about? The teams are recognizing Donate Life Month and honoring the memory of Colleen Dobbins, the daughter of assistant lacrosse coach Dave Dobbins and his wife Erin.
Colleen was only five and a half months old when she died last month. Her parents made the incredibly generous decision to donate her organs, saving the lives of two infants.
For more information about Donate Life Month, or to register as an organ donor, go to Donate Life America.
Tuesday April 19, 2011
Here is a shocker for you: surgeons who get drunk the night before a surgery are more likely to make errors.
It is times like these when I wish there was such a thing as a "sarcasm font." Seriously, they needed a study to determine that performing surgery with a hangover was a bad idea?
Here's how the study went: 8 Irish surgeons and 16 medical school students were asked to spend the night partying. The next day they were asked to perform virtual surgery... basically a video game version of surgery that is used to train surgeons. The result? Those who chose to drink made more mistakes even though only one of them still had alcohol in their system.
All sarcasm aside, the study may have some merit. The researchers correctly state that physicians, including surgeons, are more likely to abuse alcohol than those in many other occupations. Maybe it does need to be officially stated: drinking the night before surgery is a bad idea. Perhaps more doctors will listen since it has been officially researched, and is no longer just common sense.
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Saturday April 16, 2011
Statin drugs are playing a surprising role in surgery.
A recent study showed that when statin drugs are given before elective surgeries, there are unexpected benefits. Patients are less likely to experience decreased kidney function after surgery, as well as less chance of dying after surgery, when they take the medication in the 90 days prior to the procedure.
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Saturday April 16, 2011
Thinking of having weight loss surgery? Your memory may be affected by your decision to lose weight.
A recently study of 150 overweight patients showed that 23.9% of the patients had impaired learning and 22.9% had poor recognition memory. Some of those patients had weight loss surgery, and all of the patients had their memory tested again after 12 weeks.
The patients who had weight loss surgery showed memory improvements that their counterparts who did not have surgery or weight loss did not demonstrate. What the study did not say, however, was that surgery was necessary to reap these benefits. Weight loss, regardless of whether or not surgery is performed, could potentially show the same results.
Keep up with surgery news and information by signing up for the Surgery Newsletter.
Check out the Surgery Forums for surgery discussions, support and more!