https://medicalxpress.com/surgery-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in General surgery Patients with extreme obesity are more common among those undergoing metabolic and bariatric surgery than previously recognized, and although they face a greater burden of certain health conditions and surgical complications, their overall surgical risk remains relatively low, according to a new study led by researchers at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-extreme-obesity-common-bariatric-surgery.html Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:00:08 EDT news706966950 Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi have developed BRIDGE (Biodegradable aRchitected Internal DrainaGE), a biodegradable, 3D-printed gastric stent that could improve treatment for gastric leaks, a serious complication following weight-loss surgery. By combining an advanced internal lattice design with biodegradable materials, the new device more than doubles drainage performance while potentially eliminating the need for a second procedure to remove the stent after healing. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-biodegradable-3d-gastric-stent-lattice.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:00:01 EDT news706859767 A new treatment for earlier-stage rectal cancer could transform how patients are treated for the disease, according to a landmark clinical trial. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-clinical-trial-rectal-cancer-major.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 14:40:08 EDT news706800141 Surgery remains the primary curative treatment for gastric cancer, with laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) established as a standard minimally invasive approach. While LG offers faster recovery than open surgery, it remains technically demanding because surgeons must operate within a confined space using rigid instruments that can amplify hand tremors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-robot-surgery-clinical-advantages-laparoscopic.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:20:02 EDT news706776683 Giving intravenous iron to patients with anemia before heart surgery reduces the need for a red blood cell transfusion, finds a clinical trial published by The BMJ today. Intravenous iron also saved approximately 44 units of blood products for every 100 patients treated. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-iron-transfusion-heart-surgery-complications.html Wed, 19 Aug 2026 18:30:04 EDT news706276981 For patients facing a diagnosis of glioblastoma—one of the most aggressive and devastating forms of brain cancer—the standard path forward has long meant invasive open-skull surgery and a daunting prognosis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-laser-therapy-weapon-deadly-brain.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:00:06 EDT news706176001 In a thoughtfully designed adaptive clinical trial, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine physician-scientists demonstrated that the U.S. could triple or quadruple the supply of platelets available to help save patients who are bleeding, of all ages, and extend the life-saving therapy to rural regions and community hospitals. Platelets are the component of blood that encourages clotting, plugging cuts and tears in blood vessels and stemming blood loss. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-chilled-platelets-safely-lifesaving-patients.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:00:03 EDT news705922201 Traditionally, obesity has been classified primarily using BMI, a measure of weight relative to height that provides limited information about whether excess fat is actually affecting a person's health. BMI levels have historically played a central role in determining eligibility and priority for metabolic bariatric surgery—operations on the stomach that help people lose weight and treat health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-obesity-definitions-reveal-ill-health.html Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:20:01 EDT news705918615 Women diagnosed with breast cancer are almost immediately confronted with treatment decisions. If a surgical oncologist gives a choice between a lumpectomy and a mastectomy to remove a tumor, that's often because either option will lead to a similar long-term health outcome. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-breast-cancer-surgery-surgical-oncologist.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 08:40:07 EDT news705735676 Restarting obesity medications, including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, soon after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is associated with greater one-year weight loss than surgery alone in adolescents, according to a research letter published online July 22 in JAMA Surgery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-reinitiating-obesity-meds-bariatric-surgery.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 17:40:06 EDT news705678812 A new study by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) found that bacterial infections develop in approximately 5% of adults hospitalized with firearm injuries, with most infections occurring during the initial hospitalization rather than after patients return home. The findings were published in JAMA Network Open as a research letter. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-bacterial-infections-affect-hospitalized-adults.html Sun, 09 Aug 2026 09:40:02 EDT news705322433 Robot-assisted surgery (RAS) is one of the most advanced tools in modern medicine. These systems give surgeons extreme precision, allowing procedures to be performed through small incisions that minimize both pain and recovery time. Yet even with this sophisticated technology, operations still depend on a human surgeon, who must stay intensely focused for hours while making medical decisions. With RAS increasingly adopted worldwide, understanding what it demands of surgeons is critical. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-human-side-robotic-surgery-tracking.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:20:09 EDT news705229321 Oral health is known to be linked to overall health, and research has shown relationships with a variety of diseases. Impaired oral health has been linked to prognosis in colorectal cancer and esophageal cancer. Previous studies have also shown an association between oral health and postoperative complications in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), one of the more lethal forms of cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-natural-tooth-term-survival-pancreatic.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:56:29 EDT news704710562 The complexity of superior-inferior ventricles—a condition in which one ventricle is positioned on top of the other—has often limited surgical treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-biventricular-linked-outcomes-superior-inferior.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:40:03 EDT news704700901 Any minor cut or scrape sets the body's natural healing process in motion. However, deep wounds are far more vulnerable to bacterial infection and the accumulation of harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS), which damage cells and disrupt normal repair mechanisms. These factors can significantly delay healing and increase the risk of complications. With this in mind, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) have developed an antibiotic-free multifunctional injectable hydrogel designed to accelerate wound healing. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-hydrogel-smarter-approach-wound.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:20:01 EDT news704463213 Traumatic injuries, whether on a battlefield or in a car accident, often involve damaged blood vessels that require immediate repair. New research from Harvard bioengineers aims to make these critical, time-sensitive medical treatments faster and more personalized, with the potential to save lives and advance biomedical technology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-minutes-custom-blood-vessel-grafts.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:00:24 EDT news704450258 A bioinspired material developed by scientists at Imperial College London accelerates wound healing and the repair of human skin. The material captures the body's own healing proteins, releasing them only when repair cells pull on them and delivering healing signals precisely where and when they are needed. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-smart-wound-triggering-body.html Mon, 27 Jul 2026 15:40:05 EDT news704384881 The success of an operation depends on more than expertise and technical skills. A study by Leiden researchers shows that surgeons' leadership skills under pressure play a crucial role. "The ability to perform under pressure starts long before the operation does." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-leadership-stress-rooms.html Sun, 26 Jul 2026 10:30:01 EDT news703773432 Public investment in liver transplants not only saves lives and substantially improves patients' survival and quality of life but also generates a positive long-term social and economic return. That is the finding of a pioneering study led by researchers from Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), the National Transplant Organization (ONT) and Vall d'Hebron University Hospital. More than four decades after the first liver transplant in Spain in 1984, this is the first study to perform a global assessment of the impact of these interventions, not only from the perspective of patients' health but also from economic and social perspectives. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-spain-liver-transplants-generate-economic.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 17:40:05 EDT news703505956 The popularity of GLP-1 drugs has created a new generation of body contouring patients and a new set of challenges for plastic surgeons. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-weight-loss-drugs-pose-plastic.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 16:00:07 EDT news703425421 Older adults who undergo high-risk emergency general surgery spend significantly fewer days living independently at home after surgery than those undergoing lower-risk procedures, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-high-emergency-surgery-older-adults.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 07:00:03 EDT news703312802 More than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. For patients who need a liver transplant, determining whether a donor liver is healthy enough to transplant is a critical part of the process. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-real-biosensor-ph-glucose-lactate.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 12:00:03 EDT news703245699 A new study from researchers at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Metamor Institute demonstrates that metabolic and bariatric surgery can be delivered safely and effectively for adolescents and young adults living with severe obesity, offering promising improvements in weight loss and obesity-related health conditions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-outcomes-bariatric-surgery-adolescents-young.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:40:07 EDT news703168442 Making triage decisions in a busy emergency room is tough enough; making triage decisions based on a hurried call with emergency medical staff responding at the scene of an accident is all the more challenging. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-trauma-triage-ai-accuracy.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:00:03 EDT news703155001 Each year, thousands of patients in the United States wait for a liver transplant, while transplant teams must make rapid, difficult decisions about whether donor organs are suitable for use. Many of those livers, particularly from older or medically complex donors, require careful evaluation before transplantation, and current assessments often sample only a small region of the organ. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-portable-ps-oct-scanner-reveal.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 18:00:07 EDT news702741466 A landmark Northwestern Medicine study published in JAMA suggests lung transplantation can significantly extend survival in select patients with advanced lung cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-lung-transplant-survival-patients-terminal.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:20:03 EDT news702737704 For the first time, two teleoperated humanoid robots have been used to complete two surgeries during a preclinical trial, researchers report in the July 8 issue of the journal Nature. The work is the result of a collaboration between a team of engineers and a team of surgeons at the University of California San Diego. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-surgeons-teleoperated-humanoid-robots-surgery.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:40:04 EDT news702729363 Researchers from UC Davis Medical Center have identified significant socioeconomic disparities among patients seeking treatment for complications after aesthetic surgery, according to a new study published in JPRAS Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-highlights-health-equity-financial-burden.html Tue, 07 Jul 2026 21:40:01 EDT news702660301 Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago achieved more than a 13-fold improvement in surgical safety after implementing a series of interventions based on high-reliability principles across its operating rooms. The hospital went from experiencing a serious safety event about every 2,977 surgical cases to a stretch of 39,654 cases over 585 days without a single serious safety event, according to the study published in Pediatrics. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-safety-surgery-children.html Thu, 02 Jul 2026 07:20:01 EDT news702188462 Whether children receive an opioid prescription after surgery varies substantially by procedure type and hospital, according to a new national analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. The study also found that overall, nearly one-third of children are prescribed opioids after surgery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-children-opioids-surgery-varies-hospital.html Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:40:01 EDT news702135541