surgery

Two studies explore ways to lessen treatment burdens. One examines whether removing lymph nodes is necessary in early breast cancer. Another suggests a new approach to a type of cancer called DCIS.

"Gulf Coast Life" talks with two of the overseers of robotic-assisted surgery at Lee Health: program manager Dr. Juan Ibarra and vice president of surgical services Cheri Cartwright.

These machines make finer incisions that lead to quicker recovery times. Surgeons still need to train to use these platforms, though, since the robots don't operate alone.

The 12-floor, 565,000-square-foot building, adjacent to the hospital's Davis Islands campus, will be named for the Taneja family, major donors to the project. It is slated to open in 2027.

Concerns about sterilizing equipment has led to suspending nonemergency surgeries for one week longer as the hospital grapples with issues that could lead to serious infections, surgeons say.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services backed off from a plan that could have curtailed access to a type of surgery known as DIEP flap. Breast cancer patient advocates are relieved.

The drugs can slow digestion so much that it puts patients at increased risk for pulmonary aspiration, which can cause dangerous lung damage, infections and even death, says one anesthesiologist.

The Vatican says Pope Francis has emerged after a three-hour abdominal surgery with no complications. He was admitted for a procedure to open up his abdomen after developing a hernia linked to a 2021 operation.

Archaeologists have discovered evidence of a rare type of skull surgery dating back to the Bronze Age that's similar to a procedure still being used today.

How do older adults know when the potential benefits from surgery are worth the risks? And what questions should they ask as they try to figure this out? We ask experts for guidance.