Inventing a “Better Way”: Developing Devices to Improve Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery

Jon I. Einarsson, MD, MPHJon I. Einarsson, MD, MPH, didn’t set out to be an inventor. Chief of the Division of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Einarsson is a champion of minimally invasive approaches for their benefits to patients. But as a teacher and mentor, he knows that some techniques that benefit patients are slightly more challenging technically for trainees and others to master.
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Restoration of Infertility Using Patient-Specific Stem Cells

For women who want their own biological children, a diagnosis of infertility due to a lack of viable eggs can be devastating. Ovarian failure in women can have many causes, including aging, autoimmune disease and exposure to radiation therapy and certain chemotherapy drugs.
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Reducing Long-Term CV Risks after Preeclampsia through Online Intervention and Communication

An online intervention program for women who recently had preeclampsia has produced insight into how to reduce their future risks of cardiovascular disease.
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Lower Dose Opioid Regimen Shows Promise for Total Hip Replacement Patients

Senior Woman Taking Medication From Pill Box

In March, the Hip Society presented the 2019 Otto Aufranc Award to Antonia Chen, MD, MBA and her colleagues, honoring their research on opioid usage. Dr. Chen is the senior author of the award-winning paper, “Cluster-Randomized Trial of Opiate-Sparing Analgesia after Discharge from Elective Hip Surgery.”
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An Evidence-based Scoring System for Patients with Metastatic Spine Cancer

Female doctor writing medical records in the officeFor patients with spinal metastases, it remains challenging for providers to choose between operative and nonoperative treatments, especially when life expectancy and quality of life are difficult to predict. At Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Andrew J. Schoenfeld, MD, MSc, and investigators in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, are using the New England Spinal Metastasis Score (NESMS) to navigate this complex decision-making process.
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Transforming Cardiovascular Medicine Across Brigham Health

On August 1, 2019, John F. Keaney, Jr., MD, assumed the role of chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine in the Department of Medicine and executive director of the Heart and Vascular Center (HVC) at Brigham Health.
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Cardiac Surgery Team Improves Care with Pioneering ERAS Protocol

Julie Crowell, BSN, RN, helps patient James Mitchell sit up in a chair as part of the Cardiac Surgery ERAS pathway.
Julie Crowell, BSN, RN, helps patient James Mitchell sit up in a chair as part of the Cardiac Surgery ERAS pathway.

The Division of Cardiac Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital has a rich tradition of innovation, having performed the world’s first successful valve surgery in 1923 and the first heart transplant in New England in 1984.
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At ESC Congress 2019, Brigham Health Investigators Present Cardiovascular Discoveries

At the 2019 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congress, investigators from Brigham Health presented results from highly anticipated cardiovascular trials with the potential to transform clinical practice.

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Risk for Developing RA-ILD May Be Predicted by RA Disease Activity, Prospective Study Suggests

RA-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) is one of the most common extra-articular manifestations of RA and is correlated with increased mortality. We recently performed a study investigating disease activity and RA-ILD risk using the Brigham RA Sequential Study (BRASS), which has followed more than 1,500 patients over time, some for up to 15 years, and has generated a wealth of clinical and biomarker data.

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Major Toxicity Risk Score Among NSAID Users May Help Identify Patients at Risk

Patients with RA and OA all experience chronic pain but safe options for analgesia are limited. While NSAIDs (selective and non-selective) are commonly used in rheumatology, they can cause major toxicity. Improving the risk/benefit ratio requires a more precise understanding of risk. This study, published in Arthritis & Rheumatology,  was undertaken to derive and validate a risk score for major toxicity among NSAID users enrolled in a prior randomized controlled trial.
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