Friday 5th February 2016- The Independent: Zika: Virus passed on during blood transfusions in Brazil

‘The mosquito-borne Zika virus has been passed on to two people via blood transfusions, according to health officials.

The two unrelated incidents are believed to be the first examples of the virus being contracted during the procedure. ‘

‘Zika is a relatively mild virus which does not cause symptoms in four out of five patients, however the World Health Organisation has labeled it as a global health emergency due it its suspected links to microcephaly – a condition believed to cause brain damage and the appearance of a shrunken head in babies.

A gun-shot victim and a transplant patient both tested positive for Zika after receiving blood transfusions from different donors, Brigina Kemp, a health official in the Brazilian city of Campinas, told The Associated Press.

Doctors at the University of Campinas hospital became concerned about Zika when the gunshot victim had abnormal blood work after spending months at the facility. During this time, he received transfusions from 18 donors between February and May 2015 when he died.

However, staff suspected that dengue was behind the abnormalities as the region was experiencing an outbreak at the time, according to Kemp. However tests showed the patient was negative for dengue and the blood was shelved.

When a transplant patient tested positive for Zika, tests proved that the gun-shot victim had also contracted the virus.

Days after giving blood, the donors were found to have suffered from Zika.’

See:

Zika: Virus passed on during blood transfusions in Brazil

Tuesday 26th January 2016- The Telegraph: Toddler gets world first adult kidney transplant using 3D printing

‘A three-year-old girl from Northern Ireland has become the first to have a life-saving adult kidney transplant, using 3D printing.

At four months old, Lucy Boucher suffered heart failure which starved her kidneys of oxygen. She was told she would need to have kidney dialysis for life, until surgeons at London’s Guy’s and St Thomas’ and Great Ormond Street Hospital performed the transplant.’

‘To conduct the transplant, for which Lucy’s father Chris, 35, donated his kidney, the surgeons made detailed models of Mr Boucher’s kidney and Lucy’s abdomen with a 3D printer, so they could map out the procedure with precision, hence minimising risks.

The surgery, which took place last November, has now been pronounced a success, with both father and daughter in recovery.’

‘According to Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust: “It is the first time in the world that 3D printing has been used to aid kidney transplant surgery involving an adult donor and a child recipient.”

Mr Boucher said: “My first reaction when I saw the 3D printout of my kidney was surprise at how big it was and I wondered how it could possibly fit into Lucy.

“Seeing the model of her abdomen and the way the kidney was going to be transplanted inside her gave me a clear understanding of exactly what was going to happen.”‘

Related Articles:

Toddler gets world first adult kidney transplant using 3D printing

Kidney transplant: Antrim parents’ gratitude after innovative surgery aided by 3D printing- BBC News

Saturday 23rd January 2016- The Telegraph: New ‘sat nav’ operating technique could double chance of survival from brain cancer

‘A new ‘sat nav’ operating technique for surgeons could double the chance of survival of brain cancer patients by removing tumours which were thought to be inoperable.

Sheffield Children’s Hospital has launched new surgical suite which includes an MRI scanner which can precisely monitor the brain during an operation.

It allows surgeons to work out whether they have managed to remove all of a brain tumour while still in theatre.’

‘”The MRI images mean that we can be sure the tumour has been completely removed and nothing has been left behind before we finish the operation.”

Dr Hesham Zaki, Sheffield Children’s Hospital’

‘They can also work out precisely where a tumour is, thereby ensuring surrounding healthy tissue is not damaged.

Around 10,000 people are diagnosed with brain cancer each year and half will die. If a tumour is completely removed the chance of survival is up to 80 per cent. But if cancerous cells are left behind that falls to just 40 per cent.

Surgeons have already used the suite to carry out operations on two children and they hope to soon offer adults the benefit.’

‘Hesham Zaki, head of the department of paediatric neurosurgery, said the equipment puts the Sheffield hospital at the forefront of increasing survival rates from brain tumours in the UK and worldwide.

He said: “The fact we can use the MRI scanner during the surgery is a real step-change. “Just like a sat nav, it tells me where I need to go.

“We scan the patient that we are operating on with their skull still open and the operation still ongoing.

“The MRI images mean that we can be sure the tumour has been completely removed and nothing has been left behind before we finish the operation.

“This is important because some types of brain tumour can look like normal brain. This is a sea-change. Tumours that were inoperable can now be operated on.”‘

See:

New ‘sat nav’ operating technique could double chance of survival from brain cancer

Monday 18th January 2016- BBC News: Cancer treatment for MS patients gives ‘remarkable’ results

‘UK doctors in Sheffield say patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are showing “remarkable” improvements after receiving a treatment usually used for cancer.

About 20 patients have received bone marrow transplants using their own stem cells. Some patients who were paralysed have been able to walk again.

Prof Basil Sharrack, of Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital, said: “To have a treatment which can potentially reverse disability is really a major achievement.”

Around 100,000 people in the UK have MS, an incurable neurological condition. Most patients are diagnosed in their 20s and 30s.

The disease causes the immune system to attack the lining of nerves in the brain and spinal cord.’

‘The treatment – known as an autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) – aims to destroy the faulty immune system using chemotherapy.

It is then rebuilt with stem cells harvested from the patient’s own blood. These cells are at such an early stage they’ve not developed the flaws that trigger MS.

Prof John Snowden, consultant haematologist at Royal Hallamshire Hospital, said: “The immune system is being reset or rebooted back to a time point before it caused MS.”‘

See:

Cancer treatment for MS patients gives ‘remarkable’ results

Friday 15th January 2016- BBC News: Plan to reduce organ donation vetoes by families

‘Bereaved families have blocked the donation of organs from 547 UK registered donors since 2010 – about one in seven cases, figures show.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) says it will no longer seek the consent of families formally, to make such “overrides” more exceptional.’

Related Articles:

Plan to reduce organ donation vetoes by families

Organ donations vetoed by hundreds of bereaved families- BBC News

Hundreds of bereaved families blocking organ donation, according to NHS- The Independent

Letting families veto organ donations is an outrage- The Telegraph

NHS to prevent bereaved families blocking donation of relatives’ organs- The Telegraph

Tuesday 5th January 2016- BBC News: Bionic eye changing woman’s life after losing sight

‘A woman who has gradually been losing her sight for years has been describing the joys of being able to see again after being fitted with a bionic eye.

Rhian Lewis, from Cardiff, Wales, was given the retinal implant as part of a trial which could go on to benefit thousands of people suffering from sight loss.

The 49-year-old had an operation to implant a tiny 3x3mm chip into her right eye.’

See:

Bionic eye changing woman’s life after losing sight

Tuesday 24th November 2015- BBC News: 3D printing helps surgeons plan life-saving operation

‘A 3D-printed model of the blood vessels inside a woman’s brain has helped surgeons practise life-saving surgery.

The surgeons needed to operate to correct a weakness, or aneurysm, in a blood vessel inside the patient’s head.

Scans of the aneurysm revealed that the usual approach surgeons would take to fix it would not have worked.

3D printing is increasingly finding a role in medicine to either help doctors prepare before carrying out procedures or to make prosthetics.’

‘After suffering vision problems and recurrent headaches, New York state resident Theresa Flint was diagnosed with an aneurysm that, if left untreated, would have proved fatal.

An aneurysm is a bulging blood vessel caused by a weakness in an artery wall that risks rupturing.

The usual way to treat such problems is to implant a metallic basket that strengthens the artery wall, said Dr Adnan Siddiqui, chief medical officer at the Jacobs Institute in Buffalo, New York, who directed the treatment.

However, scans of the weak blood vessel revealed that this approach would not work, Dr Siddiqui told the BBC.

“It was a serious problem from the standpoint that she had an extremely irregular brain aneurysm that would be tricky to treat with micro-surgery,” he said.

The scans showed that the blood vessels were severely twisted and, as a result, very difficult to reach.

“There are some commonalities between all human beings,” said Dr Siddiqui, “but at the end of the day our vascular tree is as different as our fingerprints.”‘

‘To help the surgeons work out the best approach, the scans taken of Ms Flint’s brain were turned into a 3D model with the help of 3D-printing specialist Stratasys.

It helped make a replica built of a polymer that mimics human tissue allowing the surgeons to plan their approach and practise the operation.

“While we were doing that mock procedure we realised that we had to change some of the tools we wanted to use, given her anatomy,” said Dr Siddiqui.

“The day of surgery came and we tried out exactly what we thought would work best,” he said, adding that Ms Flint had “done great” since the aneurysm was corrected.

Dr Siddiqui said 3D printing was increasingly being used to help plan procedures and make models of human anatomy that give surgeons a better idea of what they will encounter during an operation. Many hospitals have now established relationships with 3D printing firms to help surgical staff.

“It may not be needed for the majority of routine cases,” he said, “but here its help was immeasurable.”‘

See:

3D printing helps surgeons plan life-saving operation

Monday 16th November 2015- BBC News: US firefighter has world’s most extensive face transplant

‘US surgeons say they have carried out the world’s most extensive face transplant to date, including the entire scalp, ears and eyelids.

Plastic surgeon Dr Eduardo Rodriguez led the team that performed the 26-hour surgery to give injured volunteer firefighter Patrick Hardison, aged 41, a new face.

The donor was a 26-year-old, David Rodebaugh, who was fatally injured in a cycling accident.

The operation took place in August.’

‘At the time, the team at the NYU Langone Medical Center said the procedure had a 50:50 chance of working.

Patrick Hardison before his injuries

Mr Hardison, who was injured in a house fire as he attempted to rescue a woman he believed was trapped in the blaze, had third degree burns of his entire face and scalp.

He waited more than a year on a donor register for a perfect match – not only blood type but someone with fair skin and light hair.’

‘Two operating teams worked in unison, one preparing the donor and the other the recipient.

David Rodebaugh, who donated his face and organs to help others’

‘Three months on from the million dollar procedure, Mr Hardison, a father of five, is healing nicely, although he will need to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life to stop his body’s immune system from fighting the transplant.

Dr Rodriguez estimates that no more than five of the other patients who have received facial transplants around the world died after the new tissue was rejected.

He told a press conference: “The amount of tissue transplanted in Patrick has not been done before.

“He is doing very well today for only day 93 [post-op].”

The procedure has restored his eyelids and blinking mechanism and he now has a full head of hair, as well as eyebrows, stubble and ears.’

Related Articles:

US firefighter has world’s most extensive face transplant

Firefighter receives full face transplant in surgery called ‘historic’- The Guardian

Disfigured firefighter gets most extensive face transplant ever- The Independent

Friday 13th November 2015- The Independent: First ever uterus transplants to be performed in US

‘While her friends were all starting to get their periods, there was no sign of hers. Then, a gynecologist offered a devastating explanation.

“I was a month away from my 16th birthday,” she wrote, “and I’d just been told I’d never carry my own child.”

This is the experience of one woman writing anonymously for Grazia Daily UK earlier this month, not long after the United Kingdom’s Health Research Authority approved ten British women for uterus transplants as part of a new clinical trial.’

‘The woman suffers from a condition called Mayer Rokitansky Kuster Hauser (MRKH), which means that she was born without parts of her vagina, uterus and cervix. MRKH affects just one in 5,000 women, and is usually diagnosed at puberty. It’s just one of the causes of uterine factor fertility, which prevents women from becoming pregnant because they were born without a uterus, have lost their uterus or have one that no longer functions.

For the first time, a solution for UFI is coming to the U.S. — just one month following the U.K.’s announcement and one year since the world’s first successful uterus transplant birth occurred in Sweden.

Cleveland Clinic announced Thursday the launch of a “groundbreaking” research study that will perform uterus transplants in 10 women. The first operation is expected to take place within the next few months, the New York Times reports.

After receiving approval from the clinic’s Institutional Review Board, researchers began screening women for the study this September. Their candidates are women aged 21 to 39 who suffer from uterine factor fertility.’

Related Articles:

First ever uterus transplants to be performed in US

US hospital to offer infertile women uterine transplants- The Telegraph

Thursday 29th October 2015- The Independent: World Stroke Day: New treatment can directly remove a brain clot

‘Scientists have developed a new technique to treat people affected by strokes. Only performed in a few hospitals around the world, the treatment consists of fishing out the clot directly from a patient’s brain by inserting a mechanical device – similar to a stent – in the groin.

As the video above shows, these operations can be risky and challenging for surgeons, but they are essential to re-establish the blood flux and prevent brain damage. They also offer an alternative to drug treatment.

The practice of removing a clot from other parts of the body already exists, but the procedure of removing it from a human brain has mostly been done only for a year now.

At the moment, this new operation costs around £16,000 and doctors believe the treatment should become accessible to everyone suffering a brain stroke.

World Stroke Day is celebrated on 29 October to raise awareness in the UK. According to the NHS, in England alone, over 110,000 people a year are victim of a stroke, which is the leading cause of disability and the fourth leading cause of death in the UK.’

See:

World Stroke Day: New treatment can directly remove a brain clot