Dead yet? Science, scaremongering and organ donation

In his new book, Catholic bioethicist Nicholas Tonti-Filippini attempts to portray the surgeons involved in organ donation as modern-day grave robbers. As described in a recent article in The Age, Professor…

8 July 2012

46mhjpq6-1341453220 — Around one in every 1,000 patients will recall sounds or senstations while under general anaesthetic. nanda uforians

Why some people ‘wake up’ during surgery

By Kate Leslie, University of Melbourne

Awareness during general anaesthesia is very uncommon, but when it occurs it’s distressing for patients and their carers. Our understanding of this phenomenon has grown over the past decade but we’re still…

9 May 2012

Hd75k5n9-1335500730 — Broadcasting live surgeries in Australia is not only possible, it’s already happening. Flickr/Focus Laser Vision

Broadcasting live surgery: the new reality rather than reality TV

By Andrew Renaut

The promise of technology is under-utilised in the medical profession but that’s hopefully about to change. Existing audiovisual equipment within hospitals is being used to fill training gaps and reach…

24 November 2011

Okadots-1322019917 — Johnson and Johnson’s faulty Du Puy hip implants leeched metal into the tissue of some recipients. Okadots

TGA slow to react on dud hip replacements

By Michael Vagg, Barwon Health

With joint replacement surgery becoming increasingly common, the flap over a large recall of De Puy hip implants has thousands of Australians worried about the quality and longevity their own hip replacements…

4 August 2011

Flickr_pacom — Reimbursing for costs is standard in research but large payments present problems. Flickr/PACOM

Organs for sale? The ethics of paying living kidney donors

By Malcolm Parker

The Commonwealth Government is considering a proposal from Kidney Health Australia to reimburse living kidney donors for reasonable expenses incurred during the donation process, such as loss of income…

13 July 2011

3901813960_7c1e8d3db6_o — Surgery and psychiatry attract the most patient complaints and have a high potential for power imbalance. c e d db o/Flikr

Early action against ‘complaint-prone’ doctors may help protect patients

By Marie Bismark, University of Melbourne

Nearly a fifth of all complaints against doctors in private practice in Victoria are made against a small group of medical professionals. So taking early action against these complaint-prone doctors may…

19 June 2011

Aap_obesity_3 — Keeping weight off is much harder than losing weight in the first instance. AAP

Weighing up the options on obesity

By Michael Cowley, Monash University; Paul O'Brien, Monash University, and Wendy Brown, Monash University

Prevention is the cornerstone of society’s response to the current obesity epidemic. But even if no more people were to gain much more weight, those who are already obese face serious health problems…