A case study published in BJOG looks at a living donor uterus transplant in the UK.   Mr Stuart Lavery, … read more

A poster abstract presented at Euroanaesthesia 2022 looks at alcohol consumption in older surgery patients and quality of life.   … read more

A paper published in the British Journal of Surgery suggests that there is no difference in short or long-term mortality following emergency general surgery at the weekend compared to mid-week. read more

Published in the New England Journal of Medicine the five-year outcome of randomised, controlled trials showed that, among patients with type 2 diabetes and a BMI of 27 to 43, bariatric surgery plus intensive medical therapy was more effective than intensive medical therapy alone in decreasing – or in some cases resolving – hyperglycemia. read more

Two studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that in men with localised prostate cancer (that hadn’t spread) active monitoring was not significantly more dangerous than surgery or radiotherapy in terms of survival, and that surgery and radiotherapy reduce the risk of cancer progression compared with active monitoring but can also cause more unpleasant side-effects including sexual or bowel impairment. read more

Two posters at the European Obesity Summit have presented results on bariatric surgery, with one reporting its financial and health benefits when applied to type 2 diabetes, and another reporting lower mortality for obese individuals who undergo the surgery. read more

New guidelines published in the journal Diabetes Care recommend that surgery be considered a standard option for appropriate candidates with type 2 diabetes, including in mildly obese people, and they call for health care regulators to introduce appropriate reimbursement policies. To date guidelines have been formally endorsed by 45 worldwide medical and scientific societies. read more

A Joint Statement by leading diabetes organizations including the American Diabetes Association (ADA), Diabetes UK, International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Chinese Diabetes Society and Diabetes India and endorsed by 45 worldwide scientific societies, formally recognize surgery as a standard treatment option for type 2 diabetes. This development may be one of the biggest and most significant changes in diabetes care since the introduction of insulin in 1920s. Obesity guidelines have recommended for years bariatric surgery for people with severe obesity including many with associated diabetes. It is the first time, however, that diabetes guidelines recommend surgery as a treatment option for the management of the disease itself. read more

Regeneration of tissues and organs following injury or other events is a complex task. A case study has been published in The Lancet journal which reports the use of a non-biological scaffold to bridge a gap in the oesophagus of a 24 year old man, which was then able to support regeneration of tissues and restoration of structure and function. read more

The practice of neck dissection in the treatment of advanced head and neck cancer has been associated with complications for some patients. A randomised trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that neck dissection is avoidable in 80% of cases and that the alternative application of PET-CT guided surveillance has similar survival rates and is more cost-effective. read more

Publishing in the journal Diabetologia a group of researchers have compared gastric surgery with lifestyle and medical interventions for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. In the trial with 32 patients the authors report that the group which received surgery saw greater remission of diabetes. read more

Publishing in the journal Diabetologia a group of researchers have compared gastric surgery with lifestyle and medical interventions for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. In the trial with 32 patients the authors report that the group which received surgery saw greater remission of diabetes. read more

Publishing in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal a group of scientists has estimated the impact of antibiotic resistance on surgery and chemotherapy treatments in the USA, as well as modelling what may happen with increased levels of resistance. read more

Publishing in the journal Nature, a group of researchers has described their autopsy examination of eight individuals with CJD which was caused by treatment with “human cadaveric pituitary-derived growth hormone contaminated with prions” earlier in life. They report the presence of markers of Alzheimer’s disease in a number of cases and suggest that this may also be due to the treatment with contaminated hormone. read more

This summer the surgical profession will for the first time begin publishing data around the individual performance of surgeons across a wide range of operations. Data on such a large scale present huge challenges along with the obvious benefits, so this briefing allowed science and health journalists to get to grips with some of the complexities of this new system before its introduction. read more

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS Medical Director, led a Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions. The Review Committee came to the SMC to announce their findings and recommendations to Government, and the SMC gathered further expert comment. read more

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS Medical Director, led a Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions and members of the Review Committee came to the SMC to brief journalists about their findings and recommendations to Government. read more

A 51-year-old man became the first person in the UK to have a hand transplant after surgery at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI). The patient underwent the complex eight-hour procedure on December 27 when a donor hand became available. read more

Colorectal cancer is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer worldwide, and a major cause of death, but the value of screening programmes continues to be a source of much debate. In new research published in The Lancet, researchers have announced the findings of a UK-based trial, which started 16 years ago, to assess the merit of a single sigmoidoscopy lower bowel examination in patients aged 55-64 years to screen for colorectal cancer. read more

Scientists have developed a drug which reduces scarring following surgery. The compound, avotermin, helps elements of the skin such as collagen knit together more effectively when injected under the skin, though it remains in the research stage. read more