http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. (HealthDay)—The radiation dose imparted to patients undergoing multiple intraoperative lumbar single cone-beam computed tomography (CT) scans is within the dose range that patients receive during a single fan-beam abdominal CT scan, according to research published in the March 1 issue of Spine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-multiple-cone-beam-scans-fall-ranges.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 14 Mar 2013 20:10:01 EST news282507088 (HealthDay)—Requiring patients interested in spinal surgery to first see a rehabilitation physician reduces the number of spinal surgeries, reduces costs, and leaves patients largely satisfied, according to a study published in the Feb. 1 issue of Spine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-pre-op-physiatry-spinal-surgery.html Surgery Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:30:01 EST news279292204 The "July effect"—the notion that the influx of new residents and fellows at teaching hospitals in July of each year adversely affects patient care and outcomes—was examined in a very large data set of hospitalizations for patients undergoing spine surgery. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) and the University of Virginia Health System (Charlottesville, VA) found a negligible effect on periprocedural outcomes among patients treated by spine surgery. Detailed results of their thorough study are furnished in the article "The effect of July admission on inpatient outcomes following spinal surgery. Clinical article," by Jennifer S. McDonald, Ph.D., Michelle J. Clarke, M.D., Gregory A. Helm, M.D., Ph.D., and David F. Kallmes, M.D., published today online, ahead of print, in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-july-effect-negligible-outcomes-spine.html Surgery Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:23:55 EST news278677427 (HealthDay)—Patients seeing a spine surgeon are most influenced by low back pain intensity when considering whether to proceed with spinal fusion surgery, according to a study published in the Jan. 15 issue of Spine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-pain-intensity-influential-fusion-decision.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:20:01 EST news278272579 (HealthDay)—It was the start of 1988, a beautiful morning on a New Year's vacation at the beach in Martinique when Alan Brown went in the water for a quick swim. The ocean seemed a little rough, but the deep blue of the sea appeared to stretch into infinity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-tragedy-spinal-cord-injury.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:30:01 EST news278262998 (HealthDay)—Almost half of patients whose primary care physicians recommend a lumbosacral or cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan go on to receive a surgical consultation, but few end up undergoing spinal surgery, according to research published in the Jan. 1 issue of Spine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-surgery-common-mri-spine.html Surgery Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:05:29 EST news276354292 (HealthDay)—Omega-3 fatty acid (n-3FA) supplements do not correlate with higher perioperative blood loss during spinal fusion procedures, according to a study published in the December issue of the European Spine Journal. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-omega-supplements-dont-surgical-blood.html Health Sun, 16 Dec 2012 16:30:01 EST news274893546 (HealthDay)—The overall mortality rate associated with spinal surgery is 1.8 per 1,000 and varies based on factors such as patient age and primary diagnosis, according to a study published in the Nov. 1 issue of Spine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-spinal-surgery-tied-mortality-quantified.html Surgery Fri, 02 Nov 2012 17:40:02 EST news271078749 (HealthDay)—Use of intraoperative blood salvage (cell saver) is not cost-effective for adult patients undergoing single-level posterior lumbar decompression and fusion (PLDF) surgery, according to research published online Oct. 5 in Spine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-cell-saver-cost-effective-single-level-lumbar.html Surgery Mon, 15 Oct 2012 19:00:01 EST news269541674 (HealthDay)—In patients who have undergone spinal fusion surgery with intraoperative fluoroscopic guidance and have no postoperative problems, postoperative radiographs do not provide additional clinical information and are not cost-effective, according to a study published in the July issue of The Spine Journal. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-radiography-unnecessary-spinal-fusion-surgery.html Surgery Mon, 17 Sep 2012 10:14:30 EST news267095648 (HealthDay) -- Claims data can be used to accurately identify rates and risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) following spinal surgery, according to a study published in the July 1 issue of Spine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-reveals-patients-post-op-infection.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Fri, 13 Jul 2012 18:40:01 EST news261419494 (HealthDay) -- Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are safe for use in patients at higher risk for venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) while undergoing major spinal surgery, according to research published in the June issue of the Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-ivc-filters-effective-patients-embolism.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 21 Jun 2012 16:30:01 EST news259513870 (HealthDay) -- Men are twice as likely as women to have complications after brain or spinal surgery, and also spend more time in the hospital after the operation, a new study finds. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-men-prone-complications-brain-spine.html Surgery Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:30:01 EST news254149802 The odds that someone undergoing spinal surgery at a particular hospital will have to be readmitted to the same hospital within 30 days is an important measure of the quality of care patients receive. That's because these "hospital readmission rates" often reflect problems like hospital-acquired infections or complications from surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-spinal-surgeries-successful-statistics-ucsf.html Surgery Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:30:01 EST news253889032 (Medical Xpress) -- Scattering a gram of powdered antibiotic (vancomycin) directly into a spinal surgery wound appears to be a safe, cost-effective way to achieve low post-operative infection rates, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-sprinkle-pixie-post-surgical-infection-spine.html Surgery Fri, 06 Apr 2012 08:06:26 EST news252918364