Editor's Note Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) continue to face a mounting anesthesia crisis: costs are rising, staffing is tightening, and reimbursement is failing to keep pace. Anesthesia payments have dropped 8.2% over the past decade, while provider salaries have risen by as much as 40%, creating a growing financial burden…

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Editor's Note Private equity ownership drives up colonoscopy prices without delivering better patient outcomes, according to a large retrospective analysis. While independent and private equity-acquired gastroenterology practices show no significant difference in quality, prices at private equity practices rose sharply, especially in highly consolidated markets. The study, published in JAMA…

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Editor's Note The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a major initiative to reform the US organ transplant system following disturbing findings about organ procurement practices. Fierce Healthcare reported the news July 21. According to the article, the initiative was triggered by a directive from HHS to…

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Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has deemed Medline’s recent Craniotomy Kit recall, Integra LifeSciences’ MicroMyst Applicator recall, and Maquet Critical Care’s recent ventilator recall as Class I, the most severe category indicating serious risk of injury or death. As detailed in a July 22 FDA announcement,…

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Editor's Note Adapting general-purpose humanoid robots already trained on large-scale industrial tasks for use in surgery could provide a solution to burnout, understaffing and other problems. This is the primary takeaway of a July 9 article from UC San Diego detailing the work of robotics expert Michael Yip, who has…

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Editor's Note AI-enabled sensors, smart surveillance systems, and predictive analytics are advancing perioperative workflows while helping prevent breaches that can lead to surgical site infections (SSIs). This is the primary takeaway of a July 15 Q&A with Herman DeBoard, PhD, CEO of Huvr Inc., in Infection Control Today. As detailed…

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Editor's Note Surgeons at Duke and Vanderbilt universities have devised simpler methods to retrieve donor hearts after circulatory death, according to a July 16 report from the Associated Press (AP). The research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, details successful heart transplants using organs from donors whose hearts…

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Editor's Note The nursing profession has an unprecedented opportunity to redesign systems, influence policy, and elevate care—but only if we can shift from traditional models to a future-focused mindset. That's the message of this exclusive preview of the 2025 OR Manager Conference opening keynote with Dan Weberg, PhD, MHI, RN,…

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Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration has designated SunMed Holdings, LLC’s recall of the Adult Manual Resuscitator with Medium Adult Mask, Bag Reservoir, Filter, Manometer and 7 ft Oxygen Tubing as Class I, the most severe category indicating serious risk of injury or death. The recall is due…

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Editor's Note Mendaera has received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for its Focalist system, a compact robotic device that aims to improve precision in ultrasound-guided needle-based procedures. Fierce Biotech reported the news July 9. As detailed in the article, Focalist device is intended to assist with a range…

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