Medical Editor
Dr. Lars van Dijk, PhD
Surgical, Procedural & Diagnostic — Device/procedure evidence, surgical-outcome methodology, imaging endpoints.
Dr. Lars van Dijk is an independent medical writer based in Amsterdam with over 8+ years of experience specializing in Surgical, Procedural & Diagnostic research. He holds a PhD in Epidemiology from Utrecht University and a Master's degree in Health Economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam. He also holds certification in health technology assessment (HTA) methodologies and advanced evidence synthesis frameworks.
Lars focuses on generating evidence narratives for device, procedural, and imaging-based research, including orthopedic and sports medicine outcomes, ophthalmology, ENT, urology, radiology, emergency medicine, and diagnostic accuracy studies. His work emphasizes surgical outcomes research, comparative effectiveness, and imaging-based endpoints.
Before becoming a freelance writer, Lars worked as an HEOR consultant at a leading European consultancy, supporting cross-market access and evidence generation strategies for medical devices and diagnostic technologies. He is fluent in Dutch, English, and German.
Articles in this group — last 14 days
Standardized protocols for OVX rat models are necessary to reduce high heterogeneity in bone density data
Standardizing rat models to improve research on bone loss
This perspective piece reviews 43 studies using the OVX rat model to assess bone mineral density and structure in the mandible and maxilla. …
Inconsistent results in animal studies make it hard to track how bone loss affects the jaw. New guidelines aim to create clearer data for fu…
Longer postoperative membranous urethral length correlates with improved urinary continence after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy
Urethral Length Linked to Faster Recovery After Prostate Surgery
This meta-analysis of 938 patients evaluates the association between postoperative MRI-measured membranous urethral length (MUL) and urinary…
A longer urethral length after prostate surgery may be linked to a faster recovery of bladder control and better continence outcomes.
Surgical resection of submandibular schwannoma can preserve hypoglossal nerve function and tongue movement
Rare Nerve Tumor Found in Woman's Jaw, Surgery Saves Tongue Function
This case report describes the surgical resection of a submandibular schwannoma in a 44-year-old woman. Histopathological and immunohistoche…
A 44-year-old woman had a rare schwannoma in her jaw; surgery removed it while keeping her tongue moving normally a year later.
Percutaneous fixation cuts complications in Sanders II-III calcaneal fractures versus sinus tarsi approach
Less invasive surgery may lower risks for heel bone fractures
In this meta-analysis of 837 patients, closed percutaneous reduction halved complication risk versus the mini-open sinus tarsi approach for …
A less invasive surgical method for complex heel fractures may significantly reduce complication rates while offering similar recovery resul…
Gut microbiota and its products regulate bone metabolism through the gut-immune-bone axis
Gut health and bacteria may play a role in bone health
This narrative review explores the role of gut microbiota and products like short-chain fatty acids and tryptophan catabolites in bone metab…
New research suggests that the bacteria in your gut and their byproducts may directly influence how your bones stay strong and healthy.
Genetic Markers and EBV Strains Influence Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Risk in East Asian Populations
High-Risk EBV Strain Tied to Nasopharyngeal Cancer Risk
A meta-analysis identifies a significant 30.9-fold risk increase for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in patients with specific EBV strains and lack…
Certain Epstein-Barr virus strains may account for most nasopharyngeal carcinoma risk in East and Southeast Asia, a genetic analysis suggest…
Ocular morbidity prevalence of 43.1% among incarcerated populations in sub-Saharan Africa
Factors Linked to Eye Conditions in Sub-Saharan African Prisons
This meta-analysis of 3,361 individuals in sub-Saharan African prisons identifies a 43.1% prevalence of ocular morbidity. Key associated fac…
A study of over 3,000 people in African prisons found that age, past injuries, and length of stay are linked to common eye conditions.
PRP shows limited structural benefit in knee osteoarthritis, with patellofemoral cartilage and bone marrow edema signals
Platelet-rich plasma shows mixed results for knee osteoarthritis structure
This meta-analysis of 1200 patients with knee osteoarthritis found that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was associated with greater improvement i…
New data shows platelet-rich plasma may improve specific knee cartilage areas but does not change overall structural disease progression.
Airway image analysis systems using CNNs and transformers improve segmentation and structural correctness in respiratory disease
New AI Systems Improve Analysis of Respiratory Disease Airways
This narrative review examines the role of airway image analysis systems, including CNNs and transformer-based architectures, in respiratory…
Advanced computer models are improving how doctors map and analyze airway structures to help manage and plan treatments for respiratory dise…
CNN and LSTM architectures achieve up to 99% accuracy in veterinary diagnostic decision support
New AI models show high accuracy in diagnosing pet illnesses
This systematic review of 57 primary studies evaluates CNN and LSTM networks for veterinary clinical decision support. The analysis finds bi…
New deep learning models can identify pet health issues with up to 99% accuracy, offering a powerful new tool for veterinary doctors.
Endoscopic transnasal removal is the primary reported management for patients with intranasal teeth
Doctors review common symptoms and risks of intranasal teeth
This narrative review synthesizes 170 patient records from 139 articles regarding the management of intranasal teeth. The authors conclude t…
A review of 170 cases shows that extra teeth in the nasal passage often cause pain, blockage, and discharge, requiring careful surgical remo…
Microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm results in 2.60% prevalence of permanent postoperative hearing loss
Surgery for hemifacial spasm may cause permanent hearing loss
This meta-analysis of 4,014 patients evaluates the risk of hearing loss following microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm. The anal…
A large review of over 4,000 patients shows that while hearing loss is rare after surgery for hemifacial spasms, specific surgical risks exi…
Rheumatic diseases linked to 66% higher glaucoma risk in pooled analysis
Rheumatic Diseases Linked to Higher Risk of Glaucoma
This meta-analysis examined glaucoma incidence and risk in individuals with rheumatic diseases versus the general population. Pooled data sh…
People with rheumatic diseases may face a 66% higher risk of developing glaucoma compared to the general population.
Extracellular targeted protein degradation offers diverse preclinical opportunities for targeting tumor immune microenvironment components
New protein degradation method shows promise for targeting tumor proteins
This narrative review examines the preclinical potential of extracellular targeted protein degradation (eTPD) to target various components o…
A new method to break down specific proteins could help target the environment that allows tumors to hide from the immune system.
Immunosenescence drives pro-inflammatory immune shifts and impaired bone remodeling in osteoporosis
Aging immune systems may drive bone loss in osteoporosis
This systematic review examines the impact of immunosenescence on bone remodeling and immune cell function in osteoporosis. The authors synt…
Aging causes changes in immune cells that can weaken bones and promote osteoporosis, opening new doors for immune-centered treatments.
Robotic hiatal hernia repair shows fewer intraoperative complications and shorter hospital stays than laparoscopic repair
Robotic Surgery Shows Mixed Results for Hiatal Hernia Repair
This meta-analysis of 696,886 adults undergoing hiatal hernia repair found no significant difference in overall postoperative complications …
Robotic surgery for hiatal hernias may shorten hospital stays but shows links to higher risks of respiratory and cardiovascular complication…
Brain-computer interface technology improves cognitive function and activities of daily living in stroke patients
Brain-computer interface technology shows promise for stroke recovery
This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials evaluates brain-computer interface (BCI) technology for stroke rehabilitation. The analys…
New research suggests brain-computer interface technology may help stroke patients improve their cognitive functions and daily living activi…
Epidural spinal cord stimulation offers distinct motor parameter philosophies for functional recovery after spinal cord injury
Two different ways to use spinal cord stimulation for mobility
This narrative review explores the role of epidural spinal cord stimulation in managing functional outcomes for spinal cord injury. The revi…
New research identifies two distinct ways to use spinal cord stimulation to help people with spinal cord injuries walk and move.
Skull base solitary fibrous tumor recurs despite mitotic count in WHO grade 1 range
Surgery for skull base tumor shows risk of local recurrence
Single case report of a 60-year-old woman with a right temporal skull base solitary fibrous tumor treated by microsurgical resection. Histol…
A woman's case shows that even tumors with low-grade features can grow back after surgery near the skull base.
Surgical resection plus postoperative TACE yields recurrence-free status in rare primary clear cell liver carcinoma
Rare Liver Cancer Case Treated With Surgery and TACE
This is a case report and literature review describing a 74-year-old woman with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis and primary clear cell carcino…
A 74-year-old woman with a rare liver cancer stayed cancer-free for years after surgery plus targeted chemotherapy delivered into the liver.
Recurrent epidural hematoma after thoracic decompression for ligamentum flavum ossification
Surgery for spinal issues can lead to rare bleeding risks
Single case report and literature review describing recurrent postoperative symptomatic epidural hematoma after thoracic decompression surge…
A rare complication after spinal surgery highlights the need for doctors to quickly spot and treat internal bleeding in patients.
Prophylactic ciNPWT may shorten hospital stay but evidence for infection reduction is not statistically significant
New wound therapy may shorten hospital stays for hernia repairs
This meta-analysis of 420 patients undergoing open ventral incisional hernia repair with mesh evaluated the impact of prophylactic ciNPWT co…
A new wound care method for hernia repairs may help patients get home sooner, though evidence for infection reduction is still uncertain.
Multimodal fusion technologies offer potential for detecting early micro-injuries in stroke and traumatic brain injury
New Fusion Technologies May Detect Early Brain Injuries Better
This narrative review explores the use of multimodal fusion technologies, including dynamic fMRI and EEG spectral analysis, to identify earl…
New multimodal technologies combining fMRI and EEG may identify early brain injuries that traditional imaging like MRI or CT scans often mis…
mHealth interventions show promise for cervical cancer prevention and control across various care continuum stages in Africa
Mobile Health Tools Show Promise for Cervical Cancer Care
This scoping review of 32 studies examines mHealth interventions for cervical cancer in Africa, including messaging, image-based diagnosis, …
Mobile health tools like text messages and image-based diagnosis are being used to improve cervical cancer screening and treatment across Af…
Liver cancer patients experience 74% prevalence of financial toxicity with moderate severity scores
Most liver cancer patients face high costs during their treatment
This meta-analysis of 39 studies indicates a 74% prevalence of financial toxicity among patients with liver cancer. While prevalence is high…
Nearly three-quarters of liver cancer patients report financial toxicity, highlighting the heavy economic burden of managing this serious il…
LLM-based medical question answering for Bangla faces significant performance gaps and data scarcity challenges
Improving AI Accuracy for Medical Questions in the Bangla Language
This mini-review examines 15 representative studies regarding LLM-based medical question answering in the Bangla language. The authors ident…
New research highlights the need for better data and local testing to make AI medical tools more reliable for Bangla speakers.
Enzalutamide added to ADT improves survival in APIC-negative metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer
Trial shows enzalutamide helps specific patients with prostate cancer
This randomized controlled trial analyzed 492 patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer to evaluate the impact of the APIC …
A new analysis shows that a specific biomarker can help doctors identify which prostate cancer patients may benefit most from enzalutamide t…
Cryptococcal meningitis with sequential cerebral infarctions and autonomic dysfunction in a non-HIV man with type 2 diabetes
Antifungal treatment helps man with diabetes and brain infection
This case report and focused literature review describes a 66-year-old non-HIV man with type 2 diabetes who developed cryptococcal meningiti…
A man with type 2 diabetes and a brain infection showed significant improvement after receiving a specific combination of antifungal medicat…
Nutritional strategies to mitigate bone stress injury in military trainees remain poorly understood
Nutritional Strategies May Help Prevent Bone Stress Injuries
This narrative review examines the evidence base regarding nutritional policies to reduce bone stress injury prevalence in military trainees…
New research highlights how specific nutritional strategies could help military trainees build stronger bones and reduce the risk of stress …
Microbiota-directed interventions show inconsistent clinical efficacy for reducing fracture risk in osteoporosis
Gut Health May Play a Role in Bone Density
This narrative review synthesizes preclinical and observational data regarding the gut-bone axis and the role of probiotics and synbiotics i…
New research explores how gut bacteria and probiotics might influence bone health and fracture risk in people with osteoporosis.