Editor's Note A simple adjustment to walking style can relieve osteoarthritis pain as well as medication and may delay the need for knee surgery, according to a year-long clinical trial published in The Lancet Rheumatology and covered by The Independent on August 18. As detailed in the article, University of…
Editor's Note A new call for papers is inviting researchers to spotlight the technologies redefining surgical care. In May 2025, npj Digital Surgery opened submissions for a special collection titled Intelligent and Integrated Systems for Digital Surgery, with a deadline of May 27, 2026. The collection will highlight advances at…
Editor's Note Laser cataract surgery is entering a new era where robotic systems and artificial intelligence (AI) work alongside surgeons to improve accuracy, efficiency, and patient outcomes. According to the July/August 2025 edition of Ophthalmology Times, recent advances in robotic integration, astigmatism management, and AI-driven imaging are minimizing variability, reducing…
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has released updated Best Practices Guidelines for the Management of Genitourinary Injuries, providing trauma teams with evidence-based recommendations to improve outcomes for patients with injuries to the kidneys, bladder, ureters, urethra, and genitalia. According to an ACS August 26 news release, the…
Takeaways • Robot-assisted surgery (RAS) is now an option in many specialties and for adult and pediatric patients; RAS-related ethical issues include access and patient privacy. • Intuitive Surgical continues to dominate the marketplace, but many companies are working on expanding their range of options. • Some current trends and…
Editor's Note Loosening fasting policies before surgery does not increase the risk of post-surgical aspiration, also known as aspiration pneumonia, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the journal Surgery in August 2025. The researchers analyzed 17 studies published between 2016 and 2023, including randomized clinical trials and…
Editor's Note A mixed reality navigation (MRN) system for neurosurgery achieved performance comparable to traditional optical navigation (TON) in certain clinical scenarios, while significantly reducing equipment costs, according to an August 1 study published in BMC Surgery. The MRN system, built around a Microsoft HoloLens headset and infrared tracking tools,…
Editor's Note Recent research shows robotic-assisted cholecystectomy (RAC) results in similar bile duct injury rates as laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), but risks are higher for postoperative complications, longer hospital stays, and more frequent drain use. Published May 21 in JAMA Surgery, the large-scale cohort study analyzed outcomes from over 844,000 acute…
Editor's Note Clocking long hours has impact beyond fatigue. It may also physically reshape the brain. As reported May 13 by CNN, that is the central finding of a new study showing significant structural brain changes in overworked individuals, particularly in areas tied to emotional regulation and executive function. Conducted…
Editor's Note Augmented reality (AR) guidance keeps surging in perioperative practice: Pixee Medical just secured FDA 510(k) clearance for its Knee+ NexSight system for total knee arthroplasty, while Augmedics’ xvision platform has already guided 10,000 US spine surgical procedures and is rolling out a new CT-Fluoro registration upgrade. According to…