# Health news 17th August 2011



## Northerner (Aug 17, 2011)

*Study reveals disturbing rate of failure among some surgeons*
Thousands of patients are being forced to go under the knife for a second time because as many as half the operations carried out by some NHS surgeons end in failure. The disturbing finding comes from a study of bowel surgery, one of the commonest operations carried out on the NHS. Patients whose bowel operations fail and have to be redone ? usually because of bleeding, infection or leakage from the gut ? face a four-fold increased risk of dying from surgery ? up from 2.9 per cent to 11.9 per cent ? and spend more than twice as long in hospital (27 days compared with 11).

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...e-of-failure-among-some-surgeons-2338863.html 

*Tell-tale sign of ovarian cancer is discovered*

Scientists have found a blood molecule that could help doctors spot early signs of ovarian cancer, saving thousands of lives. The disease is known as the silent killer, because symptoms often remain hidden until a late and dangerous stage.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-st...ovarian-cancer-is-discovered-115875-23350008/

*A baby's first 1,000 days 'determines their health prospects for life'*

You have encouraged them to eat their greens, battled to get them into the best school and sweated with them over their homework ? all to give them the best start in life. But your children?s prospects may have been determined long before all the hard work.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...000-days-determine-health-prospects-life.html

*Virtual touch helps keyhole surgeons to 'feel' tumours*
Tactile feedback technology could give keyhole surgeons a virtual sense of "feeling" tumours while operating. A Leeds University study has combined computer virtualisation with a device that simulates pressure on a surgeon's hand when touching human tissue remotely.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14540581

*'Cot death risk' to small babies*

Parents of underweight babies must be given more information on reducing the risk of cot death, says a charity. According to latest research, babies born weighing less than 2.5kg (5.5lb) are five times more likely to suffer cot death than those of normal weight.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14547627


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