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UC San Diego Health System March 2017
Focus on Health
 
 
  triplets

Look Twice, Cut Once

Before his colon resection, Larry Smarr wanted his surgeon to have a good look at what she would find inside, so he produced 3D models of his affected organs, based upon existing imaging. His medical team, headed by Sonia Ramamoorthy, MD, was able to run through the surgery virtually before ever using a scalpel. The experiment proved a big success and, Smarr hopes, provides a possible glimpse of the future of surgery.

 
 
 
Suraj

Pain on Wane, a Life Regained

Steven Larrabee was plastering stucco 28 feet above ground when the scaffolding collapsed. A friend standing below said he looked like Superman when he hit the dirt. Except Larrabee suffered a hand injury that has caused him pain ever since. Fortunately, a spinal cord stimulator has helped. Mark Wallace, MD, explains what that is and how it can help some patients live painlessly without medication.

 
Drew Renick

Giving Thanks After Giving Birth

Jessica Salzman didn’t quite make it to the hospital before delivering her baby girl, Zoe. She delivered in her mini-van right outside the Emergency Department doors while her husband sought help. Nearby paramedics quickly came to Salzman’s aid, followed by the obstetrics team. Months later, the Salzmans got a chance to reunite with the care team to share their gratitude.

 
 
 
Listicle

Shoeless Glow
People tend to overlook their feet. It’s not hard to—most of the time they’re beneath you. But your feet really are remarkable feats of biological engineering. So take a load off and take a moment to appreciate 12 things about those things you stand on.

 
Question & Answer

That Other C Word
Colorectal cancer rates are on the rise. The disease is the second leading cause of cancer in the U.S. Regular screening tests are vital to prevention or early, successful treatment. The good news: You have more options these days, says Samir Gupta, MD.

 
The Body Gaudy

Where Human Eggs Are Born
Ovarian follicles are cellular aggregations found in female ovaries. Women begin puberty with approximately 400,000 of them (winnowed down from many, many more), each with the potential to release an egg during a menstrual cycle.

 
 
 
By the Numb3rs   Parkinson’s disease involves the progressive impairment or deterioration of brain cells that coordinate smooth and balanced muscle movement. Roughly 1 million Americans have the disease, with 60,000 persons diagnosed annually. Men are 1 ½ times more likely to develop Parkinson’s than women. Learn more about current therapies and related disorders at the next Focus on Health free public event: March 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall on the Qualcomm campus in Sorrento Valley. For more information and to register, click here.
 
 
 
Moving Pictures

Big Strides for Tiny Alexis

Her parents call Alexis Clarke a “miracle” because she was born at 25 weeks gestation and weighed just 11 ounces. She fit in the palm of a hand. But with spunk and around-the-clock care in the UC San Diego Health neonatal intensive care unit, Alexis is a story of survival and the comprehensive, state-of-the-art care provided to our tiniest patients at Jacobs Medical Center.

 
Best Advice

Help for a Broken Heart

Once, a transplant was the only option for patients with heart failure, who frequently died waiting for a suitable donor organ. Now, implanted left ventricular assist devices not only extend hope, they often give patients back their lives. Eric Adler, MD, and heart patient Jeff Hambrick talk about the technology and what it means for patients living with the device.

 
 
 

Over the Counter

Beauty Boosters
Sometimes medications for what ails you can have welcome side effects: a nasal congestion spray that’s good for fixing skin redness or a glaucoma drug that also produces longer, fuller eye lashes. But before you think about resorting to any of these indirect remedies, talk to your doctor first.

 

Research roundup

Exercising just 20 minutes a day reduces inflammation; too much sitting may speed aging; a potential new drug class hits multiple cancer targets; severe newborn jaundice may be preventable; gene variant identified for Kawasaki disease susceptibility; antibiotic effective against drug-resistant bacteria in pediatric skin infections; and transplanting good bacteria to kill bad bacteria.

 

N Equals One Podcast

Why Breast Milk is Special
In this episode of our N Equals One podcast, we discuss the benefits of breast milk and how lactating mothers could hold the key to future drug development for chronic, adult diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Available on iTunes and SoundCloud.

 
 
 
Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are the last and most important step before scientific discoveries can be delivered to patients in the form of new medicines and therapies. Each year, UC San Diego Health researchers and doctors, including those at Moores Cancer Center, conduct hundreds of such trials involving a vast array of diseases, disorders and conditions. Among studies currently recruiting participants are:

Impact of Combined Behavioral Interventions on Cognitive Outcomes in MCI

Studying the Effectiveness of Non-Invasive Glucose Sensors in Patients With Diabetes: The SENSOR Study

Improving Negative Symptoms of Psychosis In Real-world Environments

Ovarian Reserve Testing in Female Young Adult Cancer Survivors

Independent Walking for Brain Health

View additional trials, both at UC San Diego and across the nation.

  Corner Clinic: Answers from Our Experts

Corner Clinic
L-R: Douglas Chang, MD, PhD, Kathryn Macaulay, MD, Linda Brubaker, MD.

1. Could cold laser therapy really help alleviate low back pain?
2. Can I get pregnant during perimenopause?
3. How do I prevent a UTI?

Recipe

DASH and Dine

The National Institutes of Health created the enduringly popular DASH diet to help lower blood pressure without using medications. It’s easy to follow and emphasizes lean proteins, veggies and fruit. We asked the director of the Healthy Eating Program at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health, Christine Zoumas, RD, for DASH-friendly recipes popular with the classes she teaches to cancer patients and survivors. The result? Two delicious, easy-to-make dishes that will keep you from getting DASH-bored.

 
 
 
 
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