Advice Columns from Dr. Carolyn Clancy

April 6 2010 20100406

Same-Day Surgery: What You Should Know

April 1 2008 20080401

Your Experience in the Hospital and Why it Matters

January 16 2008 20080116

What to Ask Before Surgery

Audio & Video

September 1 2012 20120901

Asking Questions Before Surgery

Other Patient & Consumer Resources

• Having Surgery? What You Need to Know
• Surgery Choices for Women With DCIS or Breast Cancer
• ¿Va a tener una cirugía? Lo que usted necesita saber

Clinicians & Providers

• Bariatric Surgery in Women of Reproductive Age
• Incidence, Predictors, and Outcomes Associated with Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation after Major Noncardiac Surgery
• Perioperative Pulmonary Outcomes in Patients with Sleep Apnea after Noncardiac Surgery
• Routine Preoperative Testing Before Cataract Surgery

Policymaker Resources

• Patient Medical Group Continuity and Healthcare Utilization
• Perioperative Pulmonary Outcomes in Patients with Sleep Apnea after Noncardiac Surgery

Fact Sheets

November 1 2000 20001101

Routine Preoperative Testing Before Cataract Surgery

Other Research & Data

• Identifying Intra-Abdominal Surgical Emergencies in Medically Fragile, High Risk Children and Adults
• Incidence, Predictors, and Outcomes Associated with Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation after Major Noncardiac Surgery
• Patient Medical Group Continuity and Healthcare Utilization
• Perioperative Pulmonary Outcomes in Patients with Sleep Apnea after Noncardiac Surgery

Press Releases

August 2 2010 20100802

Risks, Benefits of Emerging Heart Valve Replacement Technique Not Fully Understood

July 5 2010 20100705

New Study Finds Rotator Cuff Injuries Treatable, but Evidence Unclear Whether Surgery Is Preferable

News & Numbers

November 3 2011 20111103

Knee Replacements Up Dramatically Among Adults 45 to 64 Years Old

August 4 2010 20100804

Heart Bypass Surgery Death Rates Drop Sharply

Advice Columns from Dr. Carolyn Clancy

April 6 2010 20100406

Same-Day Surgery: What You Should Know

April 1 2008 20080401

Your Experience in the Hospital and Why it Matters

January 16 2008 20080116

What to Ask Before Surgery

Other News & Events

• No consistent association found between volume or quality and outcomes of complex surgeries for cancer
• A few preoperative factors can be used to predict inpatient deaths following surgery
• AHRQ-funded report shows promise in detecting surgical site infections
• Administration of antimicrobials just prior to surgery reduces the risk of surgical site infections
• Bariatric surgery is not linked to lower costs among individuals with diabetes
• Both laparoscopic and open surgical techniques found effective for moving undescended testicles to normal position
• Certain hospital characteristics influence mortality after complications following high-risk surgery
• Complications after kidney cancer surgery are linked with decreased long-term survival
• Computer display helps reduce the rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia in surgical intensive care units
• Continuing beta blockers after noncardiac surgery improves patient outcome
• Crisis checklists for the operating room can improve safety and management
• Dilators more cost-effective than surgery for correcting congenital condition in females
• Electronic order sets can help treatment conform to guidelines for antibiotic use after surgery
• Extended use of medications to prevent blood clots may benefit patients after major orthopedic surgery
• Fewer heart bypass surgeries performed
• Heart block in children following heart surgery increases length of hospital stay and total costs
• Hospital Compare data may not help surgical patients find hospitals with better outcomes
• Incidence, Predictors, and Outcomes Associated with Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation after Major Noncardiac Surgery
• Kidney-sparing surgery for children with renal tumors has equivalent in-hospital results to kidney removal surgery
• Lower mortality rates after surgery at high-volume hospitals due to fewer complications and other factors
• Minimally invasive prostatectomy in young men has fewer complications
• Minority patients are less likely to have surgery performed by high-volume surgeons and hospitals
• More research is needed on outcomes after maternal-fetal surgery
• New approach reduces microemboli responsible for neurologic injury following open-heart surgery
• New study finds rotator cuff injuries treatable, but evidence unclear whether surgery is preferable
• New technical brief covers surgeries for seven fetal conditions
• No greater risk or mortality observed for endoscopic vein harvesting for coronary bypass surgery
• Nonsurgical method for diagnosing breast cancer is safe and nearly as effective as surgical biopsy
• Obese patients with hypertension and diabetes have a greater risk of dying after noncardiac surgery
• Operating room procedures account for nearly half of hospitals' treatment costs
• Patient outcomes are better than hospital volume for identifying high-quality bariatric surgery centers
• Patients who undergo knee ligament reconstruction do better when the doctor or hospital perform it frequently
• Risks, Benefits of Emerging Heart Valve Replacement Technique Not Fully Understood
• Rural patients with a serious form of gallstone disease are less likely than urban patients to receive treatment
• Serious complications from bariatric surgery are fewer when done by high-volume hospitals and surgeons
• Simulation training in the operating room improves competency for the entire operating room team
• Sleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension affect in-hospital outcomes of noncardiac surgery
• Standard written checklists can improve patient safety during surgical crises
• Study suggests caution in interpreting impact of nurse staffing levels on postsurgical complication rates
• Superficial surgical site infections are a reliable measure of hospital quality
• Surgeons are more reluctant to withdraw postoperative life support for patients with complications from surgeon error
• Surgery and imaging rates for children's kidney stones are stable, but vary greatly from hospital to hospital
• Surgery for ureter congenital abnormality results in efficacy and long-term durability
• Surgical infection prevention measures reduce postoperative infections when used together, but not singly
• Surgical risk score does not work well for knee and hip replacement operations
• Surgical simulation training improves speed and confidence in residents learning endoscopic sinus surgery
• To reduce hospital deaths, managing surgical complications may be as important as preventing them
• Two approaches help identify cardiac surgery patients at risk for postoperative kidney failure
• Use of standardized feeding evaluation following surgery for congenital heart defect improves growth in affected newborns