Search Results for "minimally invasive"
How minimally invasive surgery was spun as the ‘latest and greatest’ for cervical cancer
To understand how minimally invasive surgery for cervical cancer became popular before high-quality evidence was available about its outcomes, consider some rah-rah local news coverage. Back in 1995, for example, The Record of Hackensack, N.J., reported that laparoscopy “made surgery simpler and less painful,” with a doctor calling its tiny incisions a “breakthrough” for cervical […]
Problematic PR releases: Why you should dig deeper when you see the term “minimally invasive”
Consumers are gung-ho about so-called “minimally invasive” procedures, which typically require smaller incisions than traditional open surgery. Partly, it’s for good reason. Technologies like laparoscopy and arthroscopy — which use tiny cameras and instruments — have reduced complications and sped recovery times for many common operations. But not every treatment or test billed as “minimally […]
Though it may improve symptoms, minimally invasive heart valve surgery is not without risks
The story skimmed over risks, but did take pains to point out limitations to the research.
Less-invasive heart valve replacement tied to better quality of life
Outside experts help round out NBC’s report on minimally invasive back pain procedure
However, the headline’s a bit more positive than perhaps it should be, and information about financial costs and potential harms is missing,
Radiofrequency therapy relieved herniated disc pain in new study
Less Invasive Hernia Procedure Easier on Patients: Study
Overall this story did enough to meet our expectations for quality health journalism. But we couldn’t help wishing for a few more salient details on key questions.
Less Invasive Hernia Procedure Easier on Patients: Study
Why hire a full-time health reporter when you can buy news off the shelf?
While somewhere there is still some important investigative reporting going on in some local TV stations, here is a fresh warning to anyone who gets much of their health care information from local TV health news. A recent case in point – seen on television stations across the country – is news about a minimally […]
What you need to know about hospitals nationwide promoting free hernia screenings
The more you screen, the more you find. And the more you find, the more you find that is not really something you needed to — or wanted to — find. That’s true with just about any health screening test. And you can include hernia screening. Yes, hernia screening, which has become a big-time target […]
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5-Star Friday: The obvious and the obscure
The 5-star writing we feature below highlights an interesting contrast: the obvious and the obscure. On the one hand, I’m guessing it’s fairly obvious to many of us that some physicians have ties to industry money; but on the other hand, is it widely known that some doctors and medical journals are blatantly refusing to […]
Very little news in this news release on device approved for aneurysm treatment
All missing from this news release: benefits, harms, how it compares to other methods to treat aneurysms, cost, and if it’s available beyond one hospital.
Cedars-Sinai Surgeon Uses New Device to Perform First-Ever Surgery
Claims about pulsed radiofrequency for back pain and sciatica are premature
News release lacks clarity on benefits, harms, costs, and availability of the procedure.
Pulsed radiofrequency relieves acute back pain and sciatica
Summary of diagnostic prostate cancer test study suffers from overreach
The test has only been performed in the laboratory, and is likely still years away from being available to actual patients.
Distinguishing fatal prostate cancer from 'manageable' cancer now possible
It’s time for AAAS and EurekAlert! to crack down on misinformation in PR news releases
Whenever you see a news story that contains imbalanced and inaccurate information about health care, you’d be justified in wondering whether the content originated with a poor-quality PR news release. We’ve been demonstrating how these promotional documents can mislead readers about animal studies, phase 1 research, and minimally invasive surgery — to name just a few of the […]
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Local news hype of robotic surgery doesn’t match many hysterectomy patients’ experiences
Many journalists seem enthralled with robotic surgery systems. For local journalists — especially local TV journalists — the video of the robotic arms and the surgeon using the hand controls from a distance away from the patient seems all too exciting. In Secaucus, New Jersey, it’s news when a hospital simply acquires a surgical robot. The […]
Newsweek stokes false hope with ‘cure for baldness’ based on preliminary evidence
The evidence is so scant that readers aren’t likely to get much use out of this story.
NEW CURE FOR BALDNESS COULD BE FOUND IN EXISTING DRUG, SCIENTISTS SAY
A news story’s role in the death of son of Mothers Against Medical Error founder
Helen Haskell first learned about the surgical procedure that would ultimately kill her son by reading a local newspaper article. The article described the surgery, known as the Nuss procedure, as “a revolutionary type of surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina.” It was being marketed as a new way to surgically correct pectus […]
