Healthcare

The announcement follows an independent recruitment exercise conducted by the Appointments Commission. Sir Liam is currently Chief Medical Officer for England, a post he has held for 12 years, in which he advises the Secretary of State for Health, the Prime Minister and other government ministers on all health-related issues.

A landmark study has successfully demonstrated a 29 percent reduction in heart failure or death in patients with heart disease who received an implanted cardiac resynchronization therapy device with defibrillator versus patients who received only an implanted cardiac defibrillator.

This study investigated a series of Kinemax knee replacements where the survival rate was only 75% at nine years, compared with previously recorded rates of 96% over ten years and tried to ascertain the reason for the significantly lower survival rate.

Three patients at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center were among the first in the United States to be implanted with a next-generation artificial heart pump called the DuraHeart™ Left-Ventricular Assist System.

Hip resurfacing can be a good alternative to total hip replacement in young adults because it conserves bone and it has acceptable short- to medium-term results. However, there have been concerns about fractures of the femoral neck with this procedure.

Researchers present the latest advances in a technology that continues to change the face of gastroenterology and surgery, known as Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery®, or NOTES®, at Digestive Disease Week® 2009 (DDW®).

Premier Purchasing Partners, LP, today announced new agreements for spinal implants and related products have been awarded to Aesculap Implant Systems Inc. of Center Valley, Pa.; DePuy Spine of Raynham, Mass.; and Medtronic Sofamor Danek of Memphis, Tenn.

Boston Scientific Corporation today welcomed publication of results from the ISAT clinical trial showing patients with a ruptured intracranial aneurysm treated with endovascular coil embolization are 23 percent less likely to die within five years compared to patients who undergo surgical clipping.

Tornier, Inc., a global leader in extremities orthopaedics, announced today the first human implant of a shoulder arthroplasty prosthesis based on the company’s proprietary pyrocarbon technology.

Endosense has announced the release of acute clinical results from the TOCCATA (TOuCh+ for CATheter Ablation) European clinical trial at Heart Rhythm 2009, the Heart Rhythm Society’s 30th Annual Scientific Sessions in Boston, May 13 – 16.

Evalve, Inc., the leader in the development of devices for the percutaneous repair of cardiac valves, announced today that the first 100 patients have been treated with the MitraClip® system in Europe.

New data announced at Heart Rhythm 2009, the annual congress of the Heart Rhythm Society, demonstrate that patients implanted with the investigational EnRhythm MRI™ SureScan™ pacing system experienced no complications related to the use of magnetic resonance imaging.

Smith & Nephew’s Orthopaedics business announced today it has made its first contribution to the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation for continuing medical education grants.

Despite the common perception that total hip replacements last about 10 years, researchers at Rush University Medical Center have found that the devices are extremely durable, even 20 years after surgery.

MRI has identified five possible causes of patient complications from anterior cruciate ligament reconstructive surgery, according to a study performed at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, GA, and Sahlgrenska-Molndal University Hospital in Gothenborg, Sweden.

Rush University Medical Center is testing a new procedure for regenerating damaged articular cartilage in the knee joint to relieve the pain of osteoarthritis.