https://medicalxpress.com/surgery-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in General surgery 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 Both Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy are cost-effective compared with no surgery for adolescents with severe obesity, according to a study published online June 15 in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-roux-en-gastric-bypass-sleeve.html Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:20:01 EDT news702053791 What do laparoscopic surgery and robotic lunar construction have in common? Plenty, as it turns out, for Shuai Li, Ph.D., associate professor in the University of Florida's Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-robotic-surgical-cameras-mimic-human.html Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:00:01 EDT news702021122 The liver is one of the few organs capable of regenerating after surgery—a remarkable ability that makes lifesaving procedures possible for thousands of patients each year. But not every liver regenerates as expected. Some patients develop post-hepatectomy liver failure, a serious complication that remains a leading cause of death after liver surgery. Now, a discovery by a Michigan State University researcher is challenging a long-held belief about how the liver repairs itself after surgery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-plasminogen-spur-stronger-liver-surgery.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 17:20:07 EDT news701619901 Taking a supplement before a hepatectomy, a surgery in which part of the liver is removed, may help the organ recover more quickly and become more resistant to further damage. This is the main finding of a study conducted by researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The researchers investigated the effects of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) in an experimental model using mice. The results indicate that preoperative use of the supplement preserves the energy function of liver cells and improves the quality of regeneration following major injury. These results were published in March in the journal Acta Physiologica. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-supplement-surgery-liver-regeneration.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 11:26:38 EDT news701605548 Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have analyzed nearly 86,500 surgeries at Baystate Medical Center to identify the top factors that influence inefficiencies in surgeon schedules. Having an efficiently organized surgical schedule has the potential to lower costs and reduce surgeon burnout, which would also improve patient outcomes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-surgeons-factors-hospital-efficiency.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 13:40:05 EDT news701525401 The Ross Procedure, a highly specialized option for aortic valve replacement, is associated with significant long-term durability and excellent outcomes in a wide range of adult patients with aortic valve disease. These are the results of a new study led by Mount Sinai heart surgeon Ismail El-Hamamsy, MD, Ph.D., the director of aortic surgery for Mount Sinai Health System, and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-procedure-excellent-outcomes-durability-efficacy.html Tue, 23 Jun 2026 10:00:03 EDT news701335981 A liver cancer diagnosis frequently leads to surgery, with the goal of completely removing all malignant tissue. To ensure that no tumor remains in the organ, the resected tissue is subjected to frozen-section analysis during the procedure. This analysis takes time: Patients remain under general anesthesia throughout, operating room staff are occupied, and with every passing minute the risk of complications increases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ai-based-tissue-anomaly-duration.html Mon, 22 Jun 2026 15:20:03 EDT news701358601 Global health policymakers should focus on the way entire health care systems work together, argue researchers in new findings. Improving one element does not always create better outcomes if the wider system is not ready. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-patients-injury-intentioned-backfire.html Sun, 21 Jun 2026 18:30:01 EDT news701013787 A study led by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) demonstrates a new method of using decellularized cartilage with patient-specific cells to help enlarge pediatric airways narrowed as a result of severe subglottic stenosis. Researchers demonstrate that this new method is faster, more effective and able to overcome issues associated with the current standard grafts, such as donor site morbidity, insufficient tissue volume and a delayed timeline. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-scientists-personalized-cartilage-graft-infants.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 05:00:05 EDT news700744261 Metabolic and bariatric surgery for teens with severe obesity was found to be cost-effective over 10 years, according to a new analysis from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago published in JAMA Network Open. While long-term clinical benefits of weight-loss surgery for eligible teens have been well established, and it is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, insurance coverage has been limited and few teens can take advantage of the surgery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-economic-case-teen-weight-loss.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:14 EDT news700730821 Skin is our protective barrier from the outside world, and it is highly susceptible to damage. To prevent infection, restore protective skin cells, and reduce scarring, it is essential to quickly and robustly close a wound. A new study, published in Advanced Science, shows that a multi-axis stretchable wound zipper (MSWZ) is effective in closing complex wounds quickly, improving wound healing. The MSWZ uses programmable force that can be personalized via mobile application, enhancing patient comfort and compliance. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-programmable-wound-zipper-complex-skin.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 03:10:01 EDT news700299601