Stents Work Well, But Are Costly: Will Hospitals Continue To Use Them?
NEW ORLEANS -- The current boom in implanting tubular devices calledstents in heart arteries may go bust when hospitals realize they are losingtheir profit margins, a researcher has concluded in a study presented atthe annual meeting of the American Heart Association. And if that happens, hear...Tiny Pellets Could Deliver Alzheimer's Drugs
...k with neurosurgeons on the treatment of tumors by implanting pellets containing chemotherapy agents in the brain. The pellet releases programmed amounts of the drugs to a tightly confined area where the tumor has been removed. A similar system, Saltzman theorized, might also be effective in using NGF to trea...Radically New Type Of Surgery Tested On First Patient
...he company'sCEO. "Future possibilities may include implanting electrodes into the brains ofpatients with movement disorders, repair of aneurysms and other blood vesselabnormalities, delivering therapeutic drugs or chemotherapy agents to parts ofthe brain, cardiac electrophysiology and removal of arterial plaque...Stent Procedures May Be Unnecessary In Some Heart Cases
...ty to clear the blockage appears towork as well as implanting a stent. "In 1998, more than 500,000 people received stents, and our data suggestthat one in 12 may not have required them," said Duke cardiologist Dr. WarrenCantor. "Based on an estimated cost of $1,500 for each stent, the U.S. healthcare system co...Cedars-Sinai Medical tip sheet for Sept. 21
...dars-Sinai heart transplant surgeon specializes in implanting mechanisms(Ventricular assist device surgery) that...l of women who doheart transplants, specializes in implanting mechanisms that allow a defectiveheart to rest while awaiting a transplant. CEDARS-SINAI COMPREHENS...Nanostructures for drug delivery
... taking polymers, impregnating them with drugs and implanting them into animals," said Giannelis. "We asked, can we take these materials and improve them with better control of their drug-release characteristics? They also need better mechanical properties - they are, for example, very brittle." What Gianneli...Researchers take steps to growing replacement blood vessels
...llaries in tissue culture and implanting them in the body is very complex, and relies on ideas about blood vessel formation that are just beginning to emerge. "We've had to deal with a lot of speculation or supposition, but ......l, the investigators are now comparing the cost of implanting the device with the cost of maintaining patients with drugs and medical management. This information could help Medicare and private insurers determine reimbursement policies, if the FDA approves its use....Stanford study investigates treatment cost effectiveness after heart attack
... no special therapy. The costs considered were for implanting an ICD ($25,000), a month's prescription of amiodarone ($190), outpatient doctor visits and future hospitalizations. After determining how each of the treatment strategies would affect life expectancy, the researchers found that ICDs resulted in ...Emory studies COGNIShunt device for Alzheimer's treatment
...l procedures, there are some risks associated with implanting the device. The risks include infections, bleeding or a chance that the shunt or tube could stop working. But doctors hope to prove the benefits of this device will outweigh the risks....Tiny device blocks 'useless' part of heart, prevents blood clots
...okes. This initial study supports the concept that implanting a mechanical device to block the left atrial appendage can be done safely and with relative ease, Sievert says. It may became a valuable alternative for patients with chronic, non-rheumatic AF in whom standard anticoagulation therapy is contraindica...Retinal cell implantation shows promise and improvement in advanced Parkinsons disease patients
... We hope to begin a Phase II controlled trial soon implanting Spheramine on both sides of the brain, instead of just one side." Parkinsons disease is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system affecting over one million people in the United States. ...Research explains possible origin of Parkinson's tremors
... Clinic, where researchers are implanting electrodes in the subthalamic nucleus of Parkinson's patients as an experimental therapy. "Perhaps our work could help guide those experiments," Terman said.......human brain waves. The experiments did not require implanting electrodes in the brain. A quadriplegic wearing a hat dotted with electrodes gained mental control of an arm prosthesis after a series of training sessions in which he learned to regulate his beta-rhythm through biofeedback. He learned to move a curs...Easier monitoring of diabetes is focus of symposium, Aug. 18
... reveal glucose levels. The technique will involve implanting polymer microspheres underneath the skin, probably in the abdomen or upper arm. The spheres contain special fluorescent molecules that are sensitive to glucose levels in the fluid surrounding the skin cells. When exposed to a special excitation light...Tissue-engineered cells transmit electrical signals in animal hearts
...tially fatal condition that can only be treated by implanting a cardiac pacemaker. "We have gathered preliminar...as a piece of bone for reconstructive surgery, and implanting it into the patient. The team created three-dimensional strips of tissue by growing the cell mixtur...Bone marrow cell transplant treats clogged leg arteries
.... "This is very advantageous for angiogenesis. By implanting the bone marrow mononuclear cells, we deliver endothelial progenitor cells and vascular growth factors at the same time." In limbs that received the bone marrow cells, researchers noted an increase in ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI) in 31 of 45 p...New biological sensors for detecting blood glucose developed by Hebrew University, U.S. Scientists
...okhaven research, the scientists have succeeded in implanting a gold nanoparticle with a diameter of 1.2 nanometers into the enzyme glucose oxidase. Prof. Willner explained that the enzyme glucose oxidase, like most other enzymes, acts as an insulator when binding to a conductive surface such as an electrode....Russell Berrie Foundation gift to Columbia University propels diabetes treatment into new era
...nd in the pancreas, in clusters called islets. By implanting insulin-producing cells, physicians could cure or ameliorate the illness. Whole islet transplants are an example of such treatment. However, human islets are a very limited resource. New means of creating insulin-producing cells are needed. Diabetes ......is among a small number of hospitals in the nation implanting artificial cervical discs in patients with degenerative disc disease. "We are seeing an evolution in spine surgery," said Kee Kim, assistant professor and chief of spinal neurosurgery. "The current standard of treatment is rather crude in that it ch...