A leading spine journal is casting a critical eye on industry-supported research that has led to widespread use of Medtronic's controversial bone growth product Infuse. The June 2011 issue of Spine Journal carries a strongly worded editorial about the trial designs, reporting bias, and peer review shortfalls that the authors…

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Anew risk calculator allows surgeons to model and predict the risk of complications for individual patients after bariatric surgery, a new study reports. Available free online, the risk calculator will aid in surgical decision making and help patients better prepare for their surgery by understanding the true risks and benefits,…

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Fifth and final article in a series on managing bone allografts. A unified program for managing biologics, including tissues and blood, has helped a Massachusetts hospital to meet regulatory requirements, track adverse events, and have a consistent process for bringing new tissues into the organization. The 2½-year-old Biovigilance Program at…

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Some 40% of patients scheduled for orthopedic surgery have low levels of vitamin D that may negatively affect outcomes, a new study finds. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and is essential for optimal bone health and muscle function. Researchers from New York City's Hospital for Special Surgery retrospectively…

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Second in a series on managing bone allografts. Bone-graft substitutes in all of their many forms have one purpose—to replicate the "gold standard" for bone repair and healing—the patient's own bone. Though a patient's own tissue—an autograft—is the ideal replacement for injured or diseased bone, an autograft may not be…

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Over the 8 years from 2001 to 2009, the cost of a lumbar spinal fusion with implants rose from under $6,000 to over $14,000 per case, with a small decline of 2% between 2008 and 2009. This was the second year in a row that the implant cost per case…

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Editor's Note APRIL 2010 OR leaders are striving to make evidence-based decisions about new technology. OR Manager, Inc, and ECRI Institute have joined in a collaboration to bring quarterly supplements with summaries of the Institute's technology assessment reports to OR Manager readers. ECRI Institute is an independent nonprofit organization that…

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Whether called SILS (single-incision laparoscopic surgery), LESS (laparoendoscopic single-site surgery), SPA (single-port access) surgery, or SAS (single-site access surgery), to name a few, these techniques have one thing in common—they are performed through a single site, usually the umbilicus. Single-site surgery is capturing interest, and surgeons are asking to try…

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Everything from washers to cars comes with a warranty, so why not health care? Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pennsylvania, introduced health care warranties with an innovative program called ProvenCare. Under the 90-day warranty, one cost covers the surgery and 90 days of follow-up treatment. Geisinger absorbs any additional costs…

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Millions of Americans struggling with severe obesity may in the future have an incision-free option for weight loss. Surgeons are evaluating a procedure called TOGA—for transoral gastroplasty—as part of a multicenter clinical study. The procedure, which involves passing a stapler down a patient's throat and stapling the stomach from the…

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