Robotic surgery is becoming more common. But who teaches the surgeons? Enter teleproctoring. This is where experts guide surgeons from afar. A recent study took a close look at how well this works. The study checked out different robotic systems. It looked at how well surgeons learned and how well patients did. The findings? Teleproctoring seems to help. But there's...
Ankle fractures, specifically Weber B types, can be tricky to fix. Surgeons often debate whether using a special screw, called a lag screw, helps patients heal better. This screw is designed to pull broken bone pieces together, but is it really necessary? Some doctors use it, while others don't. The truth is, there isn't much solid evidence showing that the lag scre...
Ankle replacements are tricky when the ankle is really bent inward. Sometimes, the ligaments on the inside of the ankle are too tight. Doctors might cut these ligaments to straighten the ankle. But what happens after this cut? A group of researchers wanted to find out. They looked at 32 patients who had ankle replacements and needed these ligaments cut. All had ankl...
There is a lot of confusion around what counts as a failure in meniscus repair. This is a big deal because fixing a torn meniscus is key to keeping knees in good shape and slowing down wear and tear. Even with all the fancy new surgery methods, doctors still can't agree on how to measure success or failure. The usual signs of a successful repair include things like ...
In the world of medicine, there is a growing concern about the safety of fixing very large stomach hernias in people aged 80 and above. These hernias can cause serious symptoms and greatly affect a person's life. As the population ages, doctors are seeing more of these cases. One effective way to fix these hernias is through a method called laparoscopic repair. This ...
Awake surgery is a technique where a patient is conscious during brain surgery. This method is often used to remove brain tumors. It's especially useful for tumors like gliomas, as it allows doctors to remove as much of the tumor as possible while keeping the patient safe. However, its effectiveness for recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) is still a mystery. GBM is...
The goals of VATS surgery is to treat serious lung infections and remove infected lung tissue. Doctors take tissue and fluid samples to grow bacteria cultures. This is no surprise, everyone knows you need to know what bacteria you're dealing with to be able to treat it properly. Sometimes, the samples collected from the pleural lining and fluid are not en...
Have you heard about radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy? It's a common treatment for thyroid issues. But did you know there might be some side effects? Scientists are looking into a link between RAI and a condition called primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). PHPT affects the parathyroid glands, which are tiny organs near your thyroid. Some studies suggest that RAI could...
Have you ever wondered how doctors measure shoulder injuries? Well, it's not easy! One of the main problems in shoulder instability cases is a bone defect in the glenoid area. This isn't just a minor bump; it can seriously impact surgery results. Experts have been using various methods based on 3D-CT scans to measure these defects. One of the newest methods is calle...
When it comes to large osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs)—especially those that come with a subchondral cyst or haven't responded well to bone marrow stimulation (BMS)—autologous osteochondral transplantation (AOT) is a potential solution. While there's plenty of research on treating similar issues on the medial side of the ankle, lateral lesions haven't gotte...