Mother's blood test reveals baby's sex

(Reuters Health) - Blood drawn from expectant mothers could offer parents an earlier sneak peek at their baby's sex than methods currently used in the U.S., researchers said Tuesday. The test may be particularly valuable for families that harbor sex-linked genetic disorders like hemophilia, they add. Because such disorders mostly strike boys, knowing that the baby is a girl could spare the mother diagnostic procedures, such as amniocentesis, that carry a small risk of miscarriage. "It could reduce the number of invasive procedures that are being performed for specific genetic conditions," said Dr. Diana Bianchi of Tufts University School of Medicine, who worked on the new study. But other researchers voiced concerns, saying it could be misused to terminate a pregnancy if the baby isn't of the desired sex. "What you have to consider is the ethics of this," said Dr. Mary Rosser, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York. "If parents are using it to determine gender and then terminate the pregnancy based on that, that could be a problem," she told Reuters Health. "Remember, gender is not a disease." The test looks for small pieces of the male sex chromosome in the mother's blood, which would mean she is carrying a baby boy. Some European hospitals already rely on the method, called cell-free fetal DNA, although it's not available from doctors in the U.S. "What they are finding in England is that many women are not going on to have the invasive tests," Bianchi told Reuters Health. In those procedures, doctors either extract a small amount of the fluid that surrounds the fetus (amniocentesis) or they take a sample of the placenta (chorionic villus sampling). Between one in 100 and one in 600 mothers miscarry as a result, according to Bianchi. In a fresh look at the medical evidence for the blood test, she and her colleagues analyzed 57 earlier studies that included more than 6,500 pregnancies. They found parents could trust the test 98.8 percent of the time when it said they'd have a boy, and 94.8 percent of the time when it indicated a girl. That leaves some room for error, which could be important if parents are making medical decisions based on the results -- such as whether or not to get an invasive procedure to look for genetic disorders.

However, the current non-invasive alternative -- an ultrasound done at the end of the first trimester -- isn't always good at spotting a baby's sex, Bianchi's team reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. And the blood test is reliable as early as seven weeks into the pregnancy, whereas ultrasound is not. Bianchi said one study had estimated the blood test costs about 255 pounds in the UK (about $413), all included. While it's available over the Internet, she said her team had only looked at hospital-based test performance. "I don't know why it is not being incorporated in the US," she said. Rosser, however, chalked that up to the ethical issues it raises. "It is a great test that can be part of our armamentarium of noninvasive testing that we use," she said. "But it should only be used by families that are at risk for sex-linked diseases." Michael S. Watson, executive director of The American College of Medical Genetics, said that making a genetic test available to consumers could lead to widespread use before the technology has been fully vetted. In an email, he told Reuters Health it's important that "these tests are offered in well-controlled environments in which important data can be captured to inform the ongoing development of the test."
Reference: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/10/us-mothers-blood-testidUSTRE77860Q20110810

Obesity Surgery To Remove Those Extra Calories

By Naveen Kumar Jain on December 05, 2011

Obesity is one of the most common problems that people are facing all across the globe including every stature of people like adults and teenagers. Obese people not only suffer from obesity, but with obesity come other problems like heart diseases, diabetes or chronic illness. These people are usually advised to avoid eating high calorie and junk food. However, over eating is not only the root cause of obesity. Lack of exercise and physical activity is also one the main reasons. Bariatric surgery for obesity has come as a sigh of relief to many obese people. Obesity surgery is a boon to people who wants to get rid of that extra flab. And, why not as this surgery help restructuring the digestive system in such a way that you're able to reduce weight. Being obese was once considered to be of a high social status, health and wealth but people no more want to look fat and chubby. Size zero is the new in thing that has affected most of the people and has made people self conscious about their body. One such obesity surgery that is getting immensely popular is laparoscopic bariatric surgery. This surgery is a very suitable option keeping in mind the sudden growth on obesity cases. Plus, it also has less risk of post -operative complications and recovery time. Bariatric surgery India is a highly affordable option for patients coming from abroad. India is one of the most renowned countries in providing quality health care services and has made a name in preferred medical tourism destinations. One can find best bariatric surgeons in India having years of experience in this field and being trained from international institutes; they also have a competitive edge and know over others. Mr. Pradeep Chowbey is name to reckon with in the field of obesity surgery and various successful surgeries Inguinal hernia surgery, Piles surgery, MAFT, VAAFT in India and around the world to his name. There are various kinds of bariatric surgeries in the world and best bariatric surgeon first evaluate the situation and after completing the assessment provide suitable advice and surgery options. Moreover, the benefits of going for an obesity surgery are also in ample. Less scars, reduced risks, less pain and low recovery time, makes it even more popular among the patients. It is a onetime deal, which ever solution you may take. But you need to work on it life long, so as to have healthy body, mind and soul.

Reference: http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en#q=surgery+articles+2011&hl=en&site=webhp&prmd=im vns&ei=B_jdTt_aLfDJmAXmxNmHBQ&start=10&sa=N&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=5 d37e2fca70392ba&biw=1024&bih=675

Bonnevie G. Misoles BSN4

Less-invasive appendix surgery shines in new study

(Reuters Health) - Minimally invasive surgery for a burst appendix appears to be more successful and less costly in the long run than the traditional operation, a new study hints. Using the gentler technique, called laparoscopy, a surgeon makes small cuts in the abdomen before inserting a tiny camera inside, then performing the operation by watching a television monitor. Doctors say this type of operation hurts patients less afterward than the conventional "open" method, which involves one long incision in the abdomen of up to 12 inches. But experiments comparing the two kinds of procedure have yielded mixed outcomes, and some experts remain unconvinced that laparoscopy is worth its higher upfront cost. The new study, in the Annals of Surgery, doesn't settle that question. But it does suggest that laparoscopy could actually save thousands of dollars for some patients, when all costs -including physician fees, hospital fees and readmissions -- are considered. "You really want to look at the total cost, because that's what society has to pay," said Dr. Dmitry Oleynikov, who heads the Center for Advanced Surgical Technology at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and led the new study. "Overall, this study shows benefit from laparoscopy on every aspect, including cost," he told Reuters Health. Appendix removals are one of the most common surgeries in the U.S., with some 750,000 procedures done every year, Oleynikov added. With his colleagues, he looked back at some 40,000 such surgeries done at dozens of academic medical centers in the U.S. -- roughly 14,000 open procedures and 26,000 laparoscopic ones. For uncomplicated cases of appendicitis, in which the appendix is still intact, the tabs for the two surgeries came out about the same, at just over $7,800. People who had the laparoscopic procedures also had lower death rates, at 0.07 percent versus 0.17 percent, fewer readmissions and a slightly shorter stay at the hospital.

When the appendix had burst, however, the open surgery racked up a considerably higher bill. On average, it cost $17,594, compared to $12,125 for the laparoscopic surgery. Yet again, the patients who had laparoscopy fared much better than those who had conventional surgery. "In healthy individuals, the death rate is very (small) for all groups of patients. But when you become sicker, laparoscopy is better," said Oleynikov. "Substantial savings could be seen if open surgery is done in a laparoscopic fashion." But he acknowledged that the study has major limitations. First, it looks only at academic medical centers. And second, it's not a randomized controlled trial, which means the patients being compared could be different in important ways, explaining at least part of the outcomes of the two types of surgery. Indeed, those who had laparoscopy were younger and usually had less severe disease, which could have biased the results in favor of the minimally invasive procedure.

Reference: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/22/us-appendix-surgeryidUSTRE77L6QP20110822