Monday, December 28, 2009

Greater Risk of Complications after Surgery for Older Adults

Each year, roughly 2 million adults age 65 and older undergo surgery involving the abdomen. For most patients, risks for common types of abdominal surgery are minimal; however, a recent study has found that those risks increase with age.


According to a study published in December’s Archives of Surgery, people age 65 and older have a greater risk of experiencing complications and death after an abdominal operation.

Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle looked medical records for more than 101,000 patients 65 and older. Each patient had undergone a hysterectomy, colectomy, cholecystectomy (removal of the gall bladder) or some other abdominal procedure between 1987 and 2004.


The research team found that about 17 percent of the patients experienced a complication within 90 days of the surgery and more than 5 percent died. For patients age 90 and older, nearly 23 percent had complications and almost 17 percent died following their abdominal operation.


If you have questions about the medical care you received during a surgical procedure or were injured by surgical malpractice, call or e-mail us today. We have helped hundreds of patients who did not receive proper medical care during their surgeries. Our experienced surgical malpractice attorneys will provide you with a free consultation.


Call us toll-free, 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net

Monday, December 21, 2009

Study: Folic acid helps reduce risk of fetal heart defects

According to a new study published in the European Heart Journal, pregnant women and those planning on becoming pregnant should take folic acid supplements to help prevent fetal heart malformations.


For the study, researchers from the Netherlands looked at a national register of babies born with birth defects. They identified 611 mothers who delivered children with heart defects, matching them with 2,401 women who gave birth to children with genetic or other birth problems not associated with folic acid.


Giving birth to a child with a heart defect was 20 percent less likely for women who took a folic acid supplement of at least 400 micrograms compared to malformations not related to folic acid. Compared to the general population, the risk was 26 percent lower for women who took at least 400 micrograms of folic acid.


In the United States, bread and other foods made of wheat are required to be fortified with folic acid to prevent birth defects caused by lack of folic acid. Still, women should take a folic acid supplement before and during pregnancy to help prevent birth defects.


If your child’s birth defect or injury was caused by the negligence of a doctor or hospital, contact the birth injury attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. We will evaluate your case for free and answer any legal questions you may have. Call us toll-free, 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit us online, www.ask4sam.net

Friday, December 18, 2009

Combinations of Blood Thinners Increase Bleeding Risk for Heart Attack Survivors

A recent study out of Denmark has found that patients who receive combinations of blood-thinning drugs after experiencing a heart attack are more likely experience bleeding requiring hospitalization. The study, published in the online journal The Lancet, looked at data from over 40,000 heart attack patients from 2000 to 2005.


When a person suffers a heart attack, doctors usually prescribe some combination of blood-thinning drugs, like aspirin, vitamin K antagonists (like Coumadin) and clopidogrel (Plavix). However, according to this study, these combinations of drugs may not be safe for patients.


About 4.6 percent of the 40,000 people analyzed in the study were either rehospitalized due to bleeding or died as a result of bleeding during an average of 16 months after experiencing their first heart attack. Of the patients who received Plavix and Coumadin, 12.3 percent returned to the hospital for bleeding, while only 2.6 percent of those who received aspirin alone were admitted for bleeding. Of the patients who received all three types of blood-thinning drugs, 12 percent required rehospitalization for bleeding.


Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. If you or a loved one has been seriously hurt by a misdiagnosis or delay in treatment of a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event, call or e-mail Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for your free consultation. One of our medical malpractice attorneys will review your case for free and answer any legal questions you may have.


Call us toll-free, 1-877-ASK4SAM

Monday, December 14, 2009

Study: Potentially fatal blood clots following surgery bigger risk than suspected

According to a study out of England, life-threatening blood clots after surgical procedures are more of a risk than previously thought. Researchers also found that the risk lasts longer than estimated. For the study, which was published in the online edition of the British Medical Journal (BMJ), British researchers looked at statistics for nearly one million women. Each woman was followed for 6.2 years after surgery, on average.


The potentially deadly blood clots, which are found in the deep veins and lungs, are known as venous thromboembolism. Medical professionals have known these clots to be a possible problem after surgical procedures.


The study found that in women who were required to stay in the hospital after their surgery, 1 in 140 returned to the hospital for venous thromboembolism within three months. For women who received knee or hip replacement surgery, the rate was highest, with 1 in 45 women having these clots. Following a surgical procedure for cancer, 1 in 85 women were readmitted for venous thromboembolism. For women who were not required to stay in the hospital after their operation, 1 in 815 returned with these clots. The risk of venous thromboembolism for women who did not have a surgical procedure was 1 in 6,200, according to researchers.


Previously, it was believed that minimally invasive surgeries reduced the risk of these clots; however, the study found that without proper treatment following surgery, clots are still possible. According to the study, treatment using clot-preventing drugs should be used for a longer period after surgery.

If you or a loved one was injured by surgical malpractice, call or e-mail the lawyers at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for a free consultation. Our experienced surgery malpractice attorneys have handled cases involving Bronx surgical malpractice, Brooklyn surgical malpractice, Queens surgical malpractice, and Long Island surgical malpractice cases.

Call us toll-free, 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Changes in Guidelines for Pap Smears

According to new guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), women should start receiving Pap smears at age 21 and have one every two years up to age 30. Women age 30 and over should receive a Pap smear once every three years, according to the new recommendations, which intend to lower the risk of unnecessary treatment.


Preceding guidelines recommended that women start receiving annual Pap smears at age 21, or three years after becoming sexually active. The new guidelines are based on evidence that overtreatment is brought about by more frequent screening. One of the consequences of overtreatment in young women is an increased risk of preterm labor, amplifying the possibility of birth defects.


Women do not get cervical cancer first, they acquire HPV, noted Dr. Jennifer Milosavijevic, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology who supports the new guidelines. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, which slowly progresses from an infection to cervical cancer over several years. According to Milosavijevic, most cervical cancer deaths in the U.S. are in women who are screened rarely or not at all.


If you or a loved one has had a delay in diagnosing cervical cancer and have questions about the quality of the medical care received, contact us today. The cancer malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos will review your Manhattan cancer malpractice, Bronx cancer malpractice, Brooklyn cancer malpractice, Queens cancer malpractice or Long Island cancer malpractice case for FREE.


Call us toll-free 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net