The following are summaries of items appearing in the August 2012 (Vol 125 No 1359) issue of the New Zealand Medical Journal, the journal of the New Zealand Medical Association

Editorial

Sleeve gastrectomy for obesity

Steven Kelly

The review article on sleeve gastrectomy is very timely. The sleeve gastrectomy is rapidly increasing in popularity. For a number of New Zealand bariatric surgeons, it has become the procedure of choice. The theoretical ideal weight loss operation would result in all patients having excellent weight loss that is durable long term. The operation would have no morbidity or mortality. No long term complications would occur. There would be an excellent resolution of obesity related co-morbidities and improvement in quality of life. Food intolerance would be minimal. Currently there is no ideal weight loss operation. However, current operations are moving in the right direction.


Original Articles

National Breast Cancer Audit: overview of invasive breast cancer in New Zealand

Corinne Ooi, Ian Campbell, James Kollias, Primali de Silva

The National Breast Cancer Audit collects data on the care of early breast cancer patients in Australia and New Zealand. An overview of invasive breast cancer in New Zealand is presented with emphasis on comparing the screened population with symptomatic referrals.

The reasons for cancellation of urological surgery: a retrospective analysis

Robert Lopez, Sharryn Jowitt, Stephen Mark

The aim of this study was to identify preventable reasons for surgery being cancelled and to identify steps which may minimise their occurrence.

Screening for sexually transmitted infections in pregnancy at Middlemore Hospital, 2009

Alec J Ekeroma, Leena Pandit, Cecilia Bartley, John M D Thompson

The aim of this study was to determine the screening rate for, and the prevalence rate of, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in pregnancy at Middlemore Hospital. 

Unintended pregnancy and therapeutic abortion in the postpartum period. Is an opportunity to intervene being missed?

Karen Joseph, Anna Whitehead

The aim of this study was to explore the reasons why women have an abortion soon after delivering an infant and what could reduce unintended pregnancy and abortion in this group of women.


Review Article

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: its place in medicine

Daniel Lemanu, Sanket Srinivasa, Primal Singh, Andrew G Hill, Andrew D MacCormick

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) was initially used as a staging procedure for high risk patients undergoing bariatric surgery. However, it is now being increasingly favoured as a single-stage procedure. This article discusses the use of LSG as a single-stage procedure for the treatment of obesity and related comorbidities.
 

Viewpoints

Cot death: 3000 lives saved but can do better

Edwin A Mitchell, Peter S Blair

Mortality from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has decreased substantially from the late 1980s. This has been attributed to the change in infant sleep position initially from prone to side and then to predominantly supine. We calculate that this has saved over 3000 lives. However, we argue that we could save more infant lives, if more focus was given to the risks observed from parents sleeping in the same bed as their babies.

The effect of ethnic prioritisation on ethnic health analysis: a research note

Robert Didham, Paul Callister

Ethnicity is an important variable in studies of health inequalities in New Zealand. Yet there are on-going concerns about the nature, quality and use of ethnic data. In 2004, Statistics New Zealand recommended that researchers and policy makers no longer use the system of ethnic prioritisation, a system originally designed to assign people with multiple ethnic responses to one ethnic category.
 

Clinical Correspondence

Biological glue for persistent airleak

Paul Tan, Cindy Lee, Lutz Beckert

Medical image. Leukaemia cutis in myelomonocytic leukaemia

Mohammed Manna, Habib U Rehman