After Surgery, Predicting a Speedy Recovery

After surgery, some patients rebound quickly, and some endure weeks of fatigue or pain.

What if a blood test could predict which path recovery will take? Surgery could be planned better, and recuperation strategies could be made more effective or less expensive.

A new study opens a door to such prediction tools. By analyzing blood from patients having hip replacements, scientists and doctors found that certain activity in patients’ immune systems correlated to different recovery times.

By Pam Belluck

Full Story: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/29/after-surgery-predicting-a-speedy-recovery/?_php=true&_type=blogs&hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpSectionSumSmallMedia&module=pocket-region&region=pocket-region&WT.nav=pocket-region&_r=0