Jury Clears GI Doc of Negligence in Colon Cancer Suit. A jury found David Vastola, DO, not negligent in performing a 2011 colonoscopy on a patient who 18 months later presented with terminal colon cancer.

Study: Long-Term Opioid Use Rarely Starts With Surgery. Patients leaving the hospital after surgery are rarely the ones whose chronic opioid use started with a surgeon's prescription.

Do drug-free interventions reduce pain or opioid consumption after total knee arthroplasty? Researchers find that electrotherapy and acupuncture might reduce and delay opioid consumption, but do little to control pain.

Administration signals likely end to Medicare bundled payments initiative. Recently posted rule suggests that the twice-postponed rule will be rescinded.

New pogram aims to optimize colorectal surgery. Participating facilities have access to tools and advice for implementing an evidenced-based clinical pathway.

Hospital accused of elaborate cover-up after unnecessary surgery. Patient's lawsuit says she had organs removed for no reason following mistaken pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

Robotic device shows promise as soft, smart endoscope tool. Harvard researchers believe their new device may help to facilitate complex procedures.

Penis enhancement surgery turns fatal. Researchers believe the patient died from a pulmonary fat embolism during what's generally considered a simple and safe procedure.

Sterility concerns prompt shutdown of Utah-based compounding pharmacy. Isomeric Pharmacy Solutions produced and distributed contaminated drugs for years, says the FDA.

Staffing: 5 Tips for meaningful meetings. You can get a lot done in a 15-minute weekly staff gathering.

Coding & billing: 10 revenue-cycle mistakes to avoid. These blunders could endanger more than just your reimbursements.

Product News - Outpatient Surgery Magazine - August, 2017

Behind closed doors: Know any good surgeons? Only a surgical nurse knows who the real 5-star docs are.

5 strategies for whole-room disinfection. When time and resources are limited, efficiency is the key.

Reduce the risks of high-alert medication errors with this Idea That Works from Dallas, Texas.

8 ways to prevent pressure ulcers. How to maintain the integrity of each patient's skin.

6 secrets for cleaning lumened instruments. Follow these tips to keep your central sterile processing department running on all cylinders.

Avoid serious injury with this Idea That Works from Boston, Mass.

Are prefilled syringes worth it? Yes, you'll spend more, but you'll waste less medication and you'll spend less time drawing it up and labeling it.

Anesthesia alert: Coping with the boredom of anesthesia. Do occasional distractions help anesthesia providers stay sharper?