The US FDA warned that using transvaginal mesh for repairing pelvic organ prolapse (POP) may put patients at greater risk of serious complications and additional surgeries than other non-mesh surgical options. In an updated safety communication issued to healthcare providers and patients, the FDA higlighted that from 2008 to 2010, the agency received 1,503 adverse [...]
Pacific Healthcare Holdings Ltd (PacHealth) is strengthening its offerings in the fields of Cardiology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oncology and Sports Medicine with the addition of new specialists and partnerships with Johns Hopkins Singapore and Novena Heart Centre. A team of five veteran consultants from Johns Hopkins Singapore, comprising of Dr Alex Chang, Dr Gilberto Lopes [...]
This month, Parkway Holdings Ltd officially opened the LUXE Wellness Centre for Women (LUXE), the first dedicated female premium wellness centre for women that offers one-stop personalised health and wellness services in an upscale and sophisticated setting. The opening was graced by MediaCorp Artiste Zoe Tay. In this exclusive interview with Medical Grapevine, Dr Swee [...]
Japanese health regulators are granting marketing approval to several major pharmaceutical products. AstraZeneca (AZ), GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Merck and Novartis each got the nod for key drugs that are already marketed elsewhere, but still awaiting launch in Japan. Daiichi Sankyo has signed on to co-promote and distribute Nexium®, a drug indicated for the treatment of erosive [...]
Women with urinary incontinence after giving birth are almost twice as likely to develop postpartum depression as those without incontinence, according to a new study recently published online in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The study examined the relationship between mode of delivery and postpartum depression at six weeks following hospital discharge. They [...]
Mothers who smoke during pregnancy are causing developmental changes to their unborn babies, leading to them having lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol later in life. The researchers investigated the impact of prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke had on the risk of future cardiovascular disease in 405 healthy eight-year-olds born between 1997 and 1999. [...]
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is alerting all healthcare professionals to overseas reports of maternal deaths and serious cardiovascular adverse events associated with the obstetric use of oral and injectable forms of terbutaline. The US FDA had received 16 maternal death reports between 1976 and 2009 and 12 maternal cases of serious cardiovascular events between [...]
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) has launched Woman&Child HealthPedia – a first-of-its-kind iPhone application dedicated to women’s and children’s health, with an initial focus on pregnancy health in an Asian context. The app, developed by KKH specialist doctors, is currently featured in the ‘New & Noteworthy’ list of Apple’s App Store. The free app [...]
The number of women diagnosed with breast cancer per year in the seven major markets is forecast to increase by 13 percent over the next decade, according to independent healthcare analyst, Datamonitor. However, in Japan, breast cancer incidence rates will rise by approximately 24 percent, from 45,600 cases in 2010 to 56,400 cases in 2019 [...]