Johns Hopkins surgeon will take over department at Jefferson
(Published 9-30-05, Philadelphia Business Journal) A leading pancreatic cancer surgeon from Johns Hopkins Hospital is leaving
the Baltimore medical center to become surgery department chairman at Jefferson Medical College and Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital.
Dr. Charles J. Yeo, chief of the division of general and gastrointestinal surgery at Hopkins, will begin Oct. 1.
Yeo is an internationally known pancreas specialist who has performed more than 600 "Whipple" surgical procedures -- among
the largest number for any doctor in the country -- to remove pancreatic tumors.
Department of Surgery
CancerCARE at Jefferson
Media Coverage:
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Surgery Live on the Internet
(Published 9-29-05, KYW NewsRadio) Steven Copit, M.D., a plastic surgeon at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, live on
the Internet, will reconstruct a patient's breast after breast surgeons remove it. Dr. Copit explains how the two teams work
together in the O.R.:
"The patient goes into the operating room with the breast surgeon involved. The mastectomy occurs and then the plastic surgeons
come in and the effort is carefully coordinated between the two."
Dr. Copit says there are a variety of methods for breast reconstruction...in this case it will involve one of the patient's
back muscles and an implant. Reconstructive surgery can take place regardless of the chosen cancer treatment.
Department of Surgery
CancerCARE at Jefferson
BreastCARE at Jefferson
Media Coverage:
KYW NewsRadio
Health: Breast Surgery on the Web
(Published 9-28-05, CBS3) More and more breast cancer survivors are having breast reconstruction surgery immediately after
a mastectomy.
As a result, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is performing this surgery live on their web tomorrow to help women understand
what they can expect.
The 60-minute web cast will include the surgery plus a detailed account of the steps a breast cancer patient goes through
following the diagnosis.
Anne Rosenberg, M.D., clinical associate professor of Surgery, will host the webcast with plastic surgeon Steven Copit, M.D.,
clinical assistant professor of Surgery, who will perform the reconstruction.
Department of Surgery
CancerCARE at Jefferson
BreastCARE at Jefferson
Media Coverage:
CBS3
Cheney's surgery
(Published 9-27-05, The Star Ledger) Just in case you're wondering, Vice President Dick Cheney had surgery Sunday for aneurysms
in both knees, not for deep vein thrombosis.
The conditions occur in two different systems of the human body. Aneurysms occur in the arterial system and are the result
of a structural weakness in the arterial wall. Deep vein thrombosis results from a blood clot that forms in the venous system,
explained physician Geno Merli, a nationally recognized expert in the management of deep vein thrombosis and director of the
division of internal medicine at Thomas Jefferson University's Jefferson Medical College, in Philadelphia.
Aneurysms usually require surgery, but not so for deep vein thrombosis, said Merli. DVT is usually treated with blood-thinning
medications.
Department of Medicine
Media Coverage:
The Star Ledger
Got heartburn?
(Published 9-26-05, WPVI (6ABC)) Before long, doctors could ask you to swallow a pill--and not "the purple pill" you hear
about in all those ads. Dr. Mitchell Conn, digestive disease specialist at Jefferson Unniversity Hospital, is the first in
the area to work with the newest pill camera.
"It actually takes images from both sides of the capsule as it travels through the esophagus," he says. "As it is going down,
it is taking pictures above and below. The Pillcam captures 14 pictures a second.
"Specifically, we are looking for Barrett's Esophagus, an erosion of the lining that's a pre-cancerous condition," Dr. Conn
adds. "The gold standard has been endoscopy - in which a lighted tube, with a camera is inserted down a person's throat. But
that has drawbacks.
Dr. Conn notes that "the majority of people aren't getting screened. and this is a much easier, safer way to screen a large
number of people with heartburn symptoms."
Department of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Media Coverage:
WPVI (6ABC)
People in the News
(Published 9-26-05, Philadelphia Inquirer) Charles J. Yeo has been named the new Samuel D. Gross Professor and chair of surgery
at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital.
Department of Surgery
CancerCARE at Jefferson
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Yahoo! Finance
Cheney to Have Surgery Saturday
(Published 9-23-05, NBC 10) Vice President Dick Cheney will have surgery Saturday to repair what are called popliteal aneurysms
behind both of his knees. "The reasons to repair the aneurysms is to prevent thrombosis, which means the aneurysm totally
shuts off blood flow, or embolization, which means pieces of the aneurysm break off . and go down into the smaller vessels
of the leg," Anthony Carabasi, Jefferson University Hospital surgeon.
Doctors could do one of two things. They could bypass the aneurysm using a vein from the same leg or they could use a coated
stent.
"The recovery time is a lot quicker for this type of procedure because there are no open incisions on your legs that you have
to heal. However, I have to stress this is investigational at this point and not really available to the general public,"
Carabasi said.
Department of Surgery
Division of Vascular Surgery
Media Coverage:
NBC 10
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Surgeons to Perform Immediate Breast Reconstruction Surgery
(Published 9-23-05, Yahoo! Finance) One of the most often performed breast reconstruction surgical procedures, using muscle
tissue from a patient's back, will be demonstrated live on the Internet by surgeons at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital,
at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 29.
Dr. Rosenberg, clinical associate professor of Surgery, will host the webcast with plastic surgeon Steven Copit, M.D., clinical
assistant professor of Surgery, who will perform the reconstruction.
The Jefferson surgeons will demonstrate latissimus dorsi flap surgery, in which tissue, sometimes including underlying fat
and muscle, is taken from the back and tunneled to create a breast mound to reconstruct the breast.
"We want to present women with the latest and best options for diagnosing and treating breast cancer," said Dr. Rosenberg.
"This webcast will demonstrate simply and clearly what a patient can expect if she is diagnosed with breast cancer."
Department of Surgery
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News Blaze
Eagles Tackle Breast Cancer
(Published 9-23-05, KYW-TV (CBS)) Philadelphia Eagles and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital are teaming up to turn Eagles
green pink, in an effort to fight breast cancer. Pink Eagles hats and ties will be sold to raise money for the Jefferson Breast
Cancer Center. Merchandise can be purchased at Lincoln Financial, the Eagles website or at the Jefferson Hospital.
CancerCare at Jefferson
Media Coverage:
KYW-TV (CBS)
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Centre Daily Times
Minimally invasive option for prostate removal now in Delaware
(Published 9-20-05, News Journal) Treatment for prostate cancer in Delaware has long meant choosing between radiation therapy
or removal of the prostate gland through an incision in the abdomen.
But when Frank Scott learned he had prostate cancer in February, he was among the first Delawareans to be given a third option
-- one that wouldn't require going out of state.
Scott, 56, of New Castle, underwent a minimally invasive procedure known as a laparoscopic radical prostatectomy at St. Francis
Hospital in Wilmington. The procedure -- like the open radical prostatectomy -- removes the entire cancerous prostate gland
to prevent the spread of cancer.
The laparoscopic prostatectomy has been a worthwhile addition, but there are still questions surrounding its benefits for
patients, said Dr. Leonard Gomella, chairman of the department of urology and director of urologic oncology for the Kimmel
Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University, where the procedure has been available since 2000.
Aside from less blood loss, "there is no clearly defined advantage that you can consistently see for one technique over the
other," Gomella said. Both the open and laparoscopic methods have similar long-term outcomes for recurrence of cancer and
side effects. Claims of improved recovery time, less pain, better erectile function and better urinary control with the laparoscopic
procedure are not concrete, he said.
Department of Urology
CancerCare at Jefferson
Media Coverage:
News Journal
Kastor sets mark in Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run
(Published 9-19-05, Philadelphia Inquirer) The way Deena Kastor attacked the streets of Philadelphia yesterday, you would
think she had perfectly planned this record-breaking run.
After smashing an American record for the half-marathon in the Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run, however, Kastor
seemed as surprised and delighted as the roaring crowd that had just cheered her on.
Media Coverage:
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Philadelphia Daily News
USA Track and Field
RunnersWeb.com
Birds tackle hospital affiliation
(Published 9-16-05, Philadelphia Business Journal) The Philadelphia Eagles have formed a partnership with Thomas Jefferson
University Hospital.
Under the partnership, Jefferson will serve an integral role in the "Eagles Tackling Breast Cancer Campaign" in October.
The Eagles will officially kick off the campaign at a reception Sept. 22 at the Boyds Philadelphia clothing store at 1818
Chestnut St.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Media Coverage:
Philadelphia Business Journal KYW News Radio
Birds tackle hospital affiliation
(Published 9-16-05, Philadelphia Business Journal)
The Philadelphia Eagles have formed a partnership with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and signed a medical services
agreement with the physicians at the Rothman Institute at Jefferson, the Eagles and the hospital announced Friday.
Under the partnership, Jefferson will serve an integral role in the "Eagles Tackling Breast Cancer Campaign" in October.
In addition, the Center City hospital, through the Rothman Institute at Jefferson, will serve as an orthopaedic facility of
the Eagles. Team physicians Drs. Peter DeLuca and Paul Marchetto are sports medicine specialists at the institute.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
CancerCare at Jefferson
Media Coverage:
Philadelphia Business Journal
Hurricane Victims Have To Watch For Mosquito-Borne Illness
(Published 9-12-05, NBC 10) Officials in the flood-ravaged Gulf area are concerned about mosquito-borne illness like West
Nile virus and encephalitis.
Louisiana already has one of the highest rates of West Nile virus in the United States this year with 52 known cases.
Dr. Robert Measley is an infectious disease specialist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He said that protection is
the best prevention.
"In terms of insect-borne illness, if they don't use proper protection -- which would be mosquito repellant containing DEET,
wearing long sleeves and things like that, especially from dusk to dawn -- they could conceivably contract West Nile virus,"
Dr. Measley said.
Department of Medicine
Division of Infectious Disease
Media Coverage:
NBC 10
Johns Hopkins Pancreas Specialist and Alimentary Tract Surgeon Joins Jefferson as Chair of Surgery
(Published 9-12-05, Philadelphia Inquirer) A veteran pancreatic cancer surgeon is joining Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
and will hold a surgery chair at Jefferson Medical College.
Dr. Charles J. Yeo, who starts Oct. 1, is currently chief of gastrointestinal surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore
and a professor at its medical school.
Department of Surgery
CancerCare at Jefferson
Media Coverage:
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Miami Herald
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The State
Study finds fewer babies born with neural tube defects
(Published 9-9-05, CNN.com) Switching gears from antibiotics to vitamins, researchers at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia
found that adding folic acid to grain products led to a significant drop in babies born with neural tube defects such as spina
bifida.. They found the effect was seen across racial and ethnic groups.
Their report, published in this month's issue of Pediatrics, a journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, indicated that
women and their babies have benefited from folate-fortified grains. However, the authors caution that women cannot rely on
grains alone to get the 400 micrograms of folic acid they need every day. In addition to consuming fortified grains, women
should also take a multivitamin or a folic acid supplement, the researchers said.
"It is a tragic failure of public policy, both in the U.S. and around the world, that a single case of folic acid-preventable
spina bifida and anencephaly occurs," Dr. Robert Brent of Thomas Jefferson University and Dr. Godfrey Oakley of Emory University
wrote in a commentary in the current issue of the journal Pediatrics.
Department of Pediatrics
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New York Times
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
That Cheatin' Heart! The workplace and the Internet provide avenues for emotional hanky-panky
(Published 9-8-05) When two people are "heart over hands" in love, to coin a phrase, feelings are similar to being "head over
heels," with one major difference: The attraction never becomes physical.
This kind of love, at its core, is a case of so-called "emotional cheating," a state of hearts without hands literally touching.
It is a strong to subtle play on the old notion of loving from afar.
So, if there's no sex, it's not cheating (as George said to Jerry in a "Seinfeld" episode).
Right? Wrong, say experts on the subject.
"It is cheating, because when a person who is married or with someone else in some other personal relationship becomes involved
in this way," he or she is looking for support outside the main relationship, explains Dimitri Markov, M.D., a board-certified
psychiatrist and instructor of psychiatry and human behavior at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.
"And when that happens, the marriage is deprived of that chance for mutual respect, trust and love to grow, and a spouse or
significant other also is robbed of these very important things."
Actually, emotional cheating is very common, he says - much more common than sexual cheating, but no less wrong or potentially
damaging to any committed relationship. It happens all over the world, with men more often than women the initiators and perpetrators,
he notes.
A danger, adds the doctor, is that emotional cheating can lead to physical or sexual cheating.
"People can engage in emotional cheating without even realizing it, but once they're involved, it can become problematic quickly,
and can be the cause for a marriage to break up and other relationships to end," says Markov.
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Media Coverage:
Jewish Exponent
Study: Daily routine helps bipolar disorder
(Published 9-7-05, Associated Press) Patients suffering from bipolar disorder who underwent therapy to help them maintain
a regular daily routine and cope with stress were able to avoid relapses over a two-year period, a study has found.
The study, published in September's Archives of General Psychiatry, examined a therapy developed by researchers at the University
of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Using what researchers dubbed interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, patients were taught how to keep to normal sleeping,
eating and other daily routines. They also were shown how to anticipate and cope with stress just as a diabetic who would
be taught, for example, how to cook and eat differently.
Dr. Gail Edelsohn, an associate professor of psychiatry at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, said sleep,
especially, has a huge effect on those with mood disorders.
"This is a very important study because what's happened is that since we have a variety of medications which are extremely
useful, I think the psychosocial interventions were prematurely cast aside," Edelsohn said.
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Services
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In unrest, a sense of being abandoned
(Published 9-6-05, Philadelphia Inquirer) Is Katrina different?
The scenes of lawlessness on TV screens and in news reports run counter to 50 years of research into human behavior during
natural disasters. For although Hollywood loves the image of panicked survivors stampeding over wounded strangers to save
themselves, the opposite is more typical.
The 9/11 images of heroism and self-sacrifice contrast sharply with what's being beamed back from New Orleans. But experts
said they were very different events.
The Katrina tragedy marks the largest natural disaster in the United States in our lifetime. Several days after the hurricane
hit, there was still no end in sight to the suffering. Those bearing the brunt of the misery were poor and living on the edge
even before the hurricane struck.
If these victims have a common enemy to rage against, something that usually binds victims to one another and fosters selflessness,
it is more likely their own government for its impotent recovery efforts than Katrina for its predictable destruction.
And that feels like abandonment.
That has meant reports of looting, carjackings, shootings, gang violence and rapes. But it's been impossible to measure how
widespread that violence is.
Experts caution that the dynamics underlying it are complex.
Salman Akhtar, professor of psychiatry at Jefferson Medical College, said disasters of Katrina's magnitude can destabilize
the mind and cause two seemingly contradictory facets of our nature to emerge.
"Some people become extraordinarily altruistic and helpful," he said, "and I'm sure such stories will come out of New Orleans
showing that."
So while some react with "helping behavior," others "display striking ruthlessness," Akhtar said. "Morality is overthrown
by the external crisis."
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
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