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Researchers have conducted a long-term study regarding the use of mesh reinforcement in hiatal hernia repair for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In a paper, the team details their assessment that there is no significant difference between mesh reinforcement and crural sutures alone in reducing hiatal hernia recurrence in patients with GERD. The study cohort included 103 patients with chronic GERD randomly assigned to two groups, one with mesh reinforcement and one with crural sutures alone. The data for analysis were obtained after more than 10 years of follow-up, with a mean follow-up time of 13 years. The double-blind,...

Researchers at Tufts University have developed a “toolkit” of biocompatible threads that can sense everything from temperature to pH to physical strain... "Most sensors that people build are typically on hard substrates like glass or silicone. We were very interested in making sensors that we can intimately interface with tissues and biological things,” said Dr. Sameer Sonkusale, the lead researcher and an associate professor of electrical engineering at Tufts University. The researchers started with cotton thread, like the ones that make up your shirt, and worked from there to develop an entire toolkit of sensors. The team has moved on...