TEMPLE IN BRIEF

UNIVERSITY APPOINTS VETERINARIAN

Milton April, D.V.M. was recently named University Veterinarian, according to Corrinne A. Caldwell, acting provost.

The job requires April to direct Temple’s Laboratory Animal Resources program as well as oversee all laboratory animals at the Health Sciences Center and Main Campus. April’s goal for his positions consists of improving the Laboratory Animal Resources, ensuring compliancy and productivity and bettering Temple’s image.

April, who received his medical degree from the University of Georgia, started his career in the Army before changing to public health.
His work in public health helped lead to the vaccine for Hepatitis B.

NEW TREATMENT FOR OLD PROBLEMS AT TEMPLE

Temple’s medical center ranks as one just five medical centers capable of using stomach pacemakers to treat gastroparesis.The disease, which prevents the stomach from moving food into intestines leads to dehydration, weight loss, electrolyte imbalances and malnutrition afflicts some 100,000 people nationwide. The side effects result from the stomach continuously feeling full.

The treatment, known as Enterra, requires wires from the pacemaker to be attached to the stomach. Electrical pulses trigger the stomach muscle to move food into the intestine.
John Meilahn performs the surgery, which can be done two ways. The first is the traditional method of cutting open the belly to attach the pacemaker and the second requires just a small endoscope inserted in the belly wall to perform the surgery.
Either works fine. The traditional method taking longer to heal and the new method taking longer to perform.
Clinical trials of the pacemaker show a 50 per cent success rate over six months.

Previously, medicines were used to treat the disease, but many of those are being pulled from the market due to serious side effects.

Enterra treatment has been approved by the FDA.

CORRECTIONS

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