Tag: Patient outcomes

Report warns sterile processing staffing crisis threatens surgical safety

Editor's Note Sterile processing departments (SPDs) face chronic staffing shortages and underinvestment that put surgical patients at risk, according to a Surgical Directions September 18 report. It emphasizes that sterile processing technicians, who decontaminate, inspect, and sterilize every surgical instrument, remain under-recognized despite their central role in surgical safety. Per…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 24, 2025
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Surgical innovation redefines what is possible for advanced colorectal cancer

Editor's Note Colorectal tumors once considered inoperable are now routinely treated with curative surgery, thanks to advances in multimodality therapy and complex resection techniques, Mayo Clinic September 16 reports. Decades ago, cancers invading the sacrum, pelvic organs, or major blood vessels were often deemed unresectable, leaving patients with only palliative…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 22, 2025
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Fall deaths among older adults have tripled, prescription drugs under scrutiny

Editor's Note Deaths from falls among Americans over 65 have more than tripled in the past 3 decades, raising alarm among geriatric experts and fueling debate about the role of prescription drugs, HealthLeaders September 15 reports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded more than 41,000 fall-related deaths…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 18, 2025
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AMA 2026 CPT code set expands with AI, remote monitoring, leg revascularization updates

Editor's Note The American Medical Association (AMA) has released the 2026 Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set, introducing 288 new codes that capture emerging technologies and modern care delivery models, the association announced on September 11. In total, the update includes 418 changes: 84 deletions, 46 revisions, and the newly…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 18, 2025
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Outpatient artificial disc replacement proves safe, efficient, game-changing for spine surgery

Editor's Note Artificial disc replacement (ADR) no longer requires a hospital stay. In one of the largest analyses to date, a California surgical team reviewed 1,043 outpatient ADR cases over 6 years and found zero immediate hospital transfers, zero transfusions, and every patient discharged home in under 24 hours, LA…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 16, 2025
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Minimally invasive ICH surgery evacuates clot fast but fails to improve 6-month outcomes

Editor's Note Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) with the Artemis Neuro Evacuation Device reduced hematoma volume efficiently and lowered serious adverse events but did not improve long-term disability or mortality compared with medical management in spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), JAMA Neurology September 2 reports. The “MIND randomized clinical trial” enrolled…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 4, 2025
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Gait retraining eases knee osteoarthritis pain as effectively as medication, can delay knee surgery

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…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 3, 2025
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CMS plan to phase out inpatient only list sparks debate over safety for vulnerable patients

Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is moving to eliminate its Inpatient Only (IPO) List over the next 3 years, a decision that could permanently shift more surgical procedures from hospitals to outpatient settings. According to an August 24 article from Fierce Healthcare, the policy promises…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 2, 2025
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Hospitals can curb costly post-acute discharges with targeted periop programs, study finds

Editor's Note One in 10 older adults and one-third of the highest risk patients are discharged to post-acute care facilities after major surgery, driving up costs and worsening outcomes. According to the American College of Surgeons (ACS) in an August 25 release on a Journal of the American College of…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
August 27, 2025
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Expert lessons on building successful total joints programs in ASCs

By 2022, orthopedic procedures performed in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) were already outpacing expectations. For years, total hip and knee replacements were considered too complex for same-day surgery. Yet, total joints replacement volumes jumped nearly 200% between 2020 and 2022—outpatient total knee arthroplasty surged nearly 194%, while total hip arthroplasty…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
August 26, 2025
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