After writing about my blood phobia — and what I did to tame it — in the spring 2013 issue of Stanford Medicine, I was surprised …
Author: John Sanford
'Snorkel' stents create lifeline to organs in method of treating complex abdominal aortic aneurysms
It's been called the chimney technique, and it's been called the double-barrel technique. But Jason Lee, MD, prefers to call it the snorkel technique. In …
Respiratory conditions account for many unplanned ICU transfers, study finds
A small percentage of patients admitted to hospital beds from emergency rooms — about 5 percent, according to recent studies — are then transferred to intensive …
For weight-loss surgery, minimally invasive procedure yields better outcomes, study finds
There are two ways to perform Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, which is by far the most popular weight-loss operation in the United States: one is …
From bed to bedside: How a trauma patient became a nurse
Epiphanies and transformative experiences make great copy; these kinds of stories write themselves. They’re also pretty rare. But I recently found one in the tale …
On avoiding and treating bites, stings and blisters
It's almost summer, and the outdoors beckons. So to be on the safe side, I consulted a few of Stanford Hospital & Clinics' wilderness medicine …
Where the air gets thin, a familiar medication may help
Attention hikers, skiers, campers, mountain climbers and anyone aspiring to visit Denver or Tibet: A study published today in the Annals of Emergency Medicine finds …
The challenges of dieting and the promises of bariatric surgery
Today, an estimated 15 million people in the United States are morbidly obese — that is, 50 to 100 percent, or 100 pounds, above their ideal …
For prolonged seizures, a quick shot often does the trick, study finds
For treating prolonged seizures outside a hospital setting, a quick intramuscular shot of anti-convulsant medication with an auto-injector, a kind of spring-loaded syringe, is as …
Heartening developments: Stanford expert discusses innovations in cardiac care
February is American Heart Month, and to mark the occasion I sat down with Robert Robbins, MD, chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery (and …
At new Stanford center, revealing dangerous secrets of the heart
The Stanford Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease is one of only a small number of centers worldwide that focus on diagnosing and treating genetic heart …
Stanford researchers reveal how mechanical forces contribute to scarring
When you get a cut, fibrous connective tissue replaces normal skin, sometimes leaving a visible scar. This process is called fibrosis, and it's a normal …
Surgery for chronic acid reflux goes scarless
A resident of Los Altos, Calif., recently became the first patient at Stanford Hospital & Clinics to undergo a scarless surgery for gastroesophageal reflux disease. …
When it comes to health-care spending, U.S. is "on a different planet"
For some eye-popping facts on U.S. health-care spending compared to that of other nations, check out a post from Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD, on The New …
Study finds family members of weight-loss-surgery patients also shed pounds
You’ve heard about the Atkins diet and the South Beach diet, but have you heard about the weight-loss-surgery-patient-in-your-living-room diet? In a study (subscription required) published today …
High-tech mouthpieces used to advance medical understanding of concussions in football
As my colleague mentioned earlier today, the problem of concussions among football players is a very real one. To learn more about the issue, Dan …