Latest from Medicine

Five things the ancient Greeks can teach us about medicine today

Although we now have a far more detailed and accurate picture of medicine, the ancient Greeks can help us think through a number of topics that are still relevant today.

Hospital data reveals death rates

Death rates from general anaesthesia and some of the most common surgeries have been revealed.

Professor's cancer breakthrough

A Kiwi professor has developed a new treatment which may be the answer to helping those diagnosed with the incurable disease: asbestos lung cancer.

Glaucoma treatment pioneer feted

A Dunedin professor who invented the first drainage device for glaucoma has been honoured at a function at the Otago Museum.

Pigs provide relief for disorder

Kiwi scientists have found in pig bladders a breakthrough that could lead to better diagnosis and treatment of a disorder which frequently catches its sufferers short.

Nepal quake: fear and terror in atmosphere

The atmosphere in Kathmandu is one of fear and terror following the second major earthquake to hit Nepal, a Unicef official in the city says.

New Nepal 7.3 quake

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit Nepal today, with a number of powerful aftershocks also shaking the beleaguered nation.

Isis doctor: 'No brainwashing'

The Australian doctor who fled to Syria to join ISIS has hit out at claims he was brainwashed into making the move in an open letter.

Doctor faces tribunal over deaths

The death of Jim Nicholls on the operating table was the fifth gallbladder case in two years that drew attention to surgeon Michael Parry.

Twelve Questions: Dr Greg Taylor

Dr Greg Taylor has been a plastic surgeon for 30 years. He talks about alpacas, racing cars and middle-aged insecurity.

Google developing surgical tech with Johnson & Johnson

Should payments to doctors be public?

Medical suppliers' payments to doctors should be opened to public scrutiny, say a group of health and science experts.

NZ access to medicine worst in OECD

Kiwis have slower and less access to the newest and most innovative medicines than their OECD counterparts, according to a report out this week.

Faecal transplantation: helpful but odd

It must be one of the weirdest health care procedures on offer and it just keeps getting weirder. Its clinical name: faecal transplantation.

Kerre McIvor: Maybe science is right

Kerre McIvor writes: This week, an Aussie medical council made public a report concluding homeopathy is not effective for treating any medical condition. In effect, it's bunkum.

Barrier's 'makeshift surgeon' selling up

Jim Cleland has performed makeshift surgery on his Great Barrier Island dining room table, but now it's time to sell the $2m holiday home.

Painkiller patches can be deadly to kids, experts warn

Pain-killing skin patches, prescribed for chronic pain and cancer care, can be deadly to children, health experts warn.

Doctor criticised for repeat antidepressant prescription

A doctor has been criticised for issuing a repeat prescription for antidepressants without a second face-to-face consultation with the patient, a young man who later took his own life.