TMJ devices have been used for many years in reconstruction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The most common endosseous implant currently used in TMJ reconstruction is a mini-anchor that is placed in the posterior head of the condyle to support artificial ligaments to stabilize the articular disk in the proper position. A 2-year follow-up study shows a success rate of 90% in reference to i...

Multiple endoscopic methods are available to treat symptomatic internal hemorrhoids. Because of its low cost, ease of use, low rate of adverse events, and relative effectiveness, RBL is currently the most widely used technique.

Effective tinnitus relief can be achieved in a large percentage of patients using appropriately selected wearable devices that provide masking of the tinnitus. Guidelines are presented for selecting between three types of devices for that purpose: (1) tinnitus maskers; (2) hearing aids; and (3) tinnitus instruments (units that combine hearing aid and masker in the same case). For patients whose...

The ASGE Technology Committee provides reviews of existing, new, or emerging endoscopic technologies that have an impact on the practice of GI endoscopy. Evidence-based methodology is used, performing a MEDLINE literature search to identify pertinent clinical studies on the topic and a MAUDE (U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Devices and Radiological Health) database search to identi...

With their rising benefits, cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) such as pacemakers and left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have witnessed a sharp rise in use over the past 50 years. As indications for use broaden, so too does their widespread employment with its attendant rise of CIED infections. Such large numbers of infections have inspired various algorithms mandating treatmen...

OBJECTIVES In a prospective, randomized trial, daptomycin was non-inferior to standard therapy for Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia and right-sided endocarditis. Since rates of infection due to methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infection are increasing and treatment outcomes for bacteraemia caused by MRSA are generally worse than those observed with methicillin-susceptible S. aureus bacte...

Not just drug manufacturers, but patient advocacy groups too, are pushing the FDA to ease its prohibitions on the dissemination of off-label medication (and medical device) information. The situation with regard to Genentech’s Avastin and Lucentis (bevacizumab) is just one reason why. Lucentis is indicated for the treatment of the wet form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and Avastin ...

People have a love/hate relationship with rapidly changing healthcare technology. While consumer demand for medical apps continues to grow as rapidly as does supply (there are over 100,000 health, wellness and medical applications, or ‘apps’ on the market), healthcare professionals and safety experts worry about the impact of these apps on the health consumer. In response to the rapidly growing...

This article presents a review of conservative therapies for plantar fasciitis pain reduction with a discussion of steroid therapy risks. The therapies reviewed include orthoses, stretching, extracorporeal shockwave, BTX-A, and corticosteroid injection/iontophoresis. These modes were included based on the availability of double blinded randomized controlled trials. We noted the following findin...