Surgery
FDA may soon allow pig organ transplant trials
With pig transplantation looking increasingly viable, the FDA may soon allow clinical trials of the technique to begin.
How three kids got kidney transplants without immunosuppressants
Stanford researchers have developed a new technique that allowed three children to receive kidney transplants without immunosuppressants.
UK man receives double hand transplant to treat rare disease
UK surgeons have performed the world’s first double hand transplant to treat scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease.
Docs discover likely cause of pig heart transplant failure
A pig virus — and not organ rejection — appears to be the reason a man who lived for two months after a pig heart transplant ultimately died.
Bacteria living inside tumors help cancer spread through the blood
Intracellular bacteria promote cancer metastasis by enhancing the tumor cells' resistance to mechanical stress in the bloodstream.
Bedridden woman stands again thanks to spinal implant
A spinal cord stimulator is helping a woman who was bedridden for 18 months because she fainted every time she stood up regain her mobility.
Rare double lung transplant saves cancer patient’s life
A Chicago lung cancer patient’s successful double lung transplant is a ray of hope for others with the deadly disease.
Baby thrives after first-of-its-kind heart transplant
A baby’s first-of-its-kind heart transplant could help future patients avoid organ rejection and reduce the need for immunosuppressant drugs.
MIT engineers invent surgical “duct tape”
MIT’s biodegradable surgical tape is designed to seal tears in the gastrointestinal tract, potentially preventing sepsis-causing leaks.
Magnetic “seed” heats and kills tumors in new cancer therapy
A novel cancer therapy uses a magnetic “seed” to precisely target and kill brain tumor cells without the need for open brain surgery.