Content sorted by:

Surgery

About 150 years ago surgeons had a bad reputation. It was only with the development of anaesthetics in the middle of the 19th century that surgery became a realistic option for many problems. Ever since pain was largely removed as a factor though, surgical procedures quickly became routine. The spectrum goes from small scrapes to remove a skin flap through to major heart surgery. Even though operations have become relatively safe, every surgical procedure still needs to be carefully considered.

Feature: Anxiety before surgery

Who likes being admitted to hospital? Almost everyone gets at least uneasy about having an operation. Anxiety like this is not going to cause complications, but it might slow down recovery after the operation. It can make it hard for people to concentrate and to understand medical information. That means that reducing anxiety does not just help you feel better. It also clears your head and makes it easier to understand what is happening. There is no cure-all for anxiety. But you can look for options that help you personally.

Research summaries

Achilles tendon injury: Operation or orthotics?

This information is temporarily unavailable. New research results on this question are expected here in 2009. more...

After surgery: Can ginger help prevent nausea and vomiting after an operation?

Low doses of ginger supplements before surgery cannot prevent nausea and vomiting afterwards. Doses of at least 1g might be able to help some people, but more research is needed to be sure. Ginger is not likely to cause major adverse effects. more...

Minimum surgery volumes in hospitals: Are the outcomes better in hospitals that do more operations?

There may be advantages to having surgery for a total knee replacement, for example, in a hospital with a higher volume of this operation. However, setting specific minimum volumes for operations in German hospitals is not simple. more...

Nursing workload in hospitals: Does it have an impact on the health of patients?

In German hospitals the number of patients each nurse needs to care for has noticeably increased. It is not yet possible to conclude whether or not this has had an effect on the quality of patient care in Germany. more...

Open limb fractures: Do antibiotics help?

Antibiotics improve healing and prevent infections after open limb fractures, and they are a key element of treatment. more...

Pre-surgery: How long do children need to fast before an operation?

Some hospitals do not let children have anything to drink for two hours before an operation. Others do not allow them to drink for more than five hours, but such a long fast has not been proven necessary. Children who are allowed to drink water or clear juice up to two hours before an operation feel better and stay calmer than children who have to fast longer. more...