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The editors at Master's in Health Administration Degrees decided to research the topic of:
10 Revolutionary Medical Advancements on the Horizon
A 69-year-old today has the same likelihood of dying as a 15-year-old hunter-gatherer once had. We are living longer and longer lives, and in the next decade, several new technologies and procedures could extend our lives further. Learn about just a few of the innovations that could save your life someday.
Remote Surgery
- Present Day: Surgeons already perform some surgeries by controlling robotic arms from a nearby console.
- The Idea: Why can't surgeons do the same thing from farther away?
- The Advantages:
- Robotic surgery expected to cut deaths after abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery from 10% to <3%.
- World-class surgeons more accessible, even in war zones, from anywhere in the world.
- The Next Step: Improving connectivity and reducing transmission delays.
Genome-Customized Medications
- Present Day: More efficient methods of sequencing the human genome are utilized every day.
- The Idea: Medication can be diagnosed, or even custom-made, based on an individual's genome.
- The Advantages:
- Diseases can be predicted and prevented decades before they appear.
- Replacement of trial-and-error prescription with safer, more effective drugs and dosages.
- The Next Step:
- Overcoming the challenges of finding specific genes affecting drug response.
- More widespread pharmacogenomics expected in the next 4 years.
Catheter-Based Renal Denervation
- Present Day: Named the #1 Medical Innovation for 2012 by the Cleveland Clinic.
- The Idea: 40-minute procedure reduces blood pressure, controls resistant hypertension, and possibly helps treat insulin resistance, chronic kidney disease and heart failure.
- The Advantages:
- 1 in 3 U.S. adults has hypertension.
- #1 risk factor for death worldwide.
- 30% reduction in cardiovascular mortality.
- The Next Step: Trials with more patients and longer follow-up are required.
Nanomedicine
- Present Day: Some drug-delivery nanotechnologies are already in use.
- The Idea: Fabricating nanotechnology or controlling matter at a molecular scale can provide diagnoses/target treatments for a broad range of diseases.
- The Advantages:
- Target tumor cells without the side effects of chemotherapy.
- Remove barriers to the circulatory system and repair damaged tissues.
- The Next Step: Machines that can build nanoprobes are still 10-20 years away, but drug-delivery nanomedicine is further along.
New Cancer-Detection Methods
- Present Day: A sports bra in development can detect breast cancer up to 6 years before a tumor is visible.
- The Idea: Cancer-detection systems that find cancer earlier and don't even require a doctor.
- The Advantages:
- Reduce the need for painful diagnostic procedures such as biopsies.
- Handheld optical scan identifies 98% of melanomas.
- The Next Step:
- A breath test for lung cancer is 9 years away.
- Urine tests for bladder cancer are 4 years away.
Wireless Body Monitoring
- Present Day: FCC announced new measures to promote wireless health technology in September.
- The Idea: Monitoring the body wirelessly helps doctors/patients intervene more quickly.
- The Advantages:
- Wireless radio pills log when patients take their medicine.
- Blood pressure, blood sugar, calorie and weight data used as a tool for healthier living.
- Wireless patches alert women when they're fertile.
- The Next Step: Cost is the biggest factor holding this research back.
Bone Regeneration
- Present Day: Instead of grafting bone from the pelvis, spine surgeons are applying bone growth factor to accelerate healing.
- The Idea: Stem cells and bone growth factor as new means of bone replacement.
- The Advantages:
- Alternative to bone fusions, 30%-40% of which don't heal.
- Reduces risk of virus transmission and rejection from cadaver-harvested bone grafts.
- The Next Step: Biological joint replacement still in testing stages. New synthetic bone-graft materials are appearing on the market.
Bariatric Surgery for Type 2 diabetes
- Present Day: Bariatric surgery helps patients lose weight.
- The Idea: Patients have been rid of Type 2 diabetes even before they left the hospital post-surgery.
- The Advantages: Reduces risk of diabetes-induced heart attack, stroke, blindness and other illnesses.
- The Next Step: Experts recommend earlier surgery for patients with poorly managed Type 2 diabetes.
Neuromodulation Device for Headaches
- Present Day: Available in Europe.
- The Idea: Surgically implanted device stimulates a nerve bundle behind the nose to fight headaches.
- The Advantages:
- Can reduce cluster and migraine headache pain in 5-10 minutes.
- 68% of patients responded to neuromodulation therapy in European testing.
- The Next Step: FDA has approved investigational use in the U.S.
Donor Lung Washing Procedure
- Present Day: Approved in Europe and Canada.
- The Idea: "Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion" repairs and assesses damaged donor lungs in 4-6 hours.
- The Advantage:
- 100,000 Americans are on the lung transplant list.
- Could make 40% of previously rejected donor lungs suitable for transplant.
- The Next Step: Undergoing a major clinical trial in the U.S.
New medical advances are appearing every day. Staying aware of these innovations could add years to your life.
