News Releases - September 2013 Archives

Mayo Clinic study examines costs following operating room and recovery improvement efforts ROCHESTER, Minn. —  Sept. 30, 2013  — The total hospital cost of mitral valve repair surgery — from the time a patient is admitted to the hospital until release — is similar, whether performed through small port incisions using robotic equipment or via the conventional open-chest method, a Mayo Clinic study of 370 patients found. Importantly, robotic surgeries were just as safe as conventional open procedures, but patients who underwent robotic mitral valve repair recovered more rapidly and returned home earlier than patients who had open-chest surgery, the study found. The results of the study also reflect systems innovation efforts designed to reduce the cost of high-technology cardiac care. The findings will be published online Oct. 1 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Video of Dr. Rakesh Suri will be available for download on the Mayo Clinic News Network. "These results reflect an important opportunity to decrease cost and improve quality of U.S. health care when technologically complex procedures are performed by well-trained, high-volume teams capable of leveraging the potential of less invasive approaches for patient benefit," says lead author Rakesh Suri, M.D., D.Phil., a cardiovascular surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Sept. 30, 2013  — Mayo Clinic researchers are part of the second phase of a national consortium that focuses on developing innovative medical treatments for wounded veterans. Mayo's role will emphasize peripheral nerve regeneration. Mayo's principal investigator is Anthony Windebank, M.D., a neurologist and deputy director for discovery in the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine. Other organizations will focus on head and face trauma, burns, transplants and other conditions. MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Video resources, including interviews with Dr. Windebank, are available for journalists at the Mayo Clinic News Network. "The opportunity to work together with a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional team that will create new therapies for our injured service members is a privilege, and we are proud that Mayo Clinic will be able to make a contribution to this effort," says Dr. Windebank. Other Mayo investigators include Michael Yaszemski, M.D., Ph.D., biomedical engineering and orthopedics; Allen Bishop, M.D., orthopedics; Alexander Shin, M.D., orthopedics; and Robert Spinner, M.D., neurologic surgery.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Sept. 27, 2013 — Beginning Jan. 1, 2014, each state will have an online Health Insurance Marketplace (Marketplace), sometimes referred to as the "exchange," which allows individuals, families and small businesses to compare and purchase insurance plans offered in their area. Marketplace enrollment can be done online, by phone (1-800-318-2596 or TTY 855-889-4325) or with in-person assistance with a trained, Marketplace-certified assister. Open enrollment begins Oct. 1, 2013, for health plans startingJan. 1, 2014. Patients may wish to visit the Marketplace to review options if: They do not have insurance They have Medicaid insurance or think they will qualify for Medicaid

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Sept. 26, 2013 — October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Mayo Clinic breast cancer experts are available to discuss risk factors, screening and treatments. MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Video and audio are available for download on the Mayo Clinic News Network. After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States, with more than 238,000 new diagnoses estimated this year. While breast cancer is predominantly found in women, about 1 percent of all breast cancers are diagnosed in men. As with all cancers, patients should be aware of the importance of prevention and early detection in order to give themselves the best opportunity to be treated if cancer is found.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Sept. 25, 2013 — A Mayo Clinic researcher, along with his collaborators, has shown that an individual's genomic makeup and diet interact to determine which microbes exist and how they act in the host intestine. The study was modeled in germ-free knockout mice to mimic a genetic condition that affects 1 in 5 humans and increases the risk for digestive diseases. The findings appear in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Our data show that factors in the differences in a host's genetic makeup — in this case genes that affect carbohydrates in the gut — interact with the type of food eaten. That combination determines the composition and function of resident microbes," says Purna Kashyap, M.B.B.S., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and first author of the study. He is also a collaborator in the Microbiome Program of the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine.

ROCHESTER, Minn.  — Sept. 24, 2013  — Heritage Days, a tradition for many years, celebrates the history, culture and values of Mayo Clinic. The events held across the Mayo Clinic campuses in Rochester, Florida, Arizona and the Mayo Clinic Health System recognize and thank all of the dedicated employees and volunteers who provide service to patients. This year, Heritage Days also kicks off the Mayo Clinic Sesquicentennial, honoring 150 years of continuous service to patients. Dr. William Worrall Mayo settled his family in Rochester, Minn., in 1864 and opened a medical practice that evolved under his sons into Mayo Clinic, a global source of hope and healing.

Pro Mujer, Mayo Clinic, Pfizer and Sesame Workshop launch new joint effort to promote disease prevention in Latin America NEW YORK — Sept. 24, 2013 — During the Healthier Futures plenary at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting, Chelsea Clinton was joined onstage by Pro Mujer's President and Chief Executive Officer,Rosario Perez, Mayo Clinic's President and CEO, John Noseworthy, M.D., the President of Pfizer Latin America, Adele Gulfo, Sesame Workshop President and CEO, H. Melvin Ming, along with Sesame Street Muppet, Rosita, to announce a unique CGI Commitment to Action that will promote healthy behavior and disease prevention among poor women and children in Bolivia, Nicaragua, Peru, Mexico and Argentina. The commitment will use a new technology platform integrating mobile, web, and video technology along with remote training and access to specialists.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Sulfasalazine, a drug commonly prescribed to reduce diarrhea in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, does not reduce diarrhea in patients receiving radiation therapy ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The array of drug store products to address constipation can be daunting. The September issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter sorts out the choices ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Macular degeneration is a leading cause of vision loss in older adults. According to the September issue ofMayo Clinic Health Letter, early detection and ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic experts routinely recommend that older adults consider B-12 supplements or food fortified with this critical vitamin. The September issue of Mayo Clinic Health ...

ROCHESTER, Minn . — Mayo Clinic has again broadened the base of its genomic research efforts by establishing a biobank at its Arizona campus, which ...