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Autologous stem cell transplants, preventing scalds, gut microbiome

Upstate's HealthLink on Air - August 30, 2026

Read the full episode transcript on the Upstate Medical University website.

Autologous stem cell transplants — banking a patient's cells to use after high-dose chemotherapy or radiation — involve several steps. Nurse practitioner Linda Dinu explains stem cells and the process of collecting them from and returning them to the patient on this week's "HealthLink on Air." Dinu specializes in oncology at the Upstate Cancer Center.

Also this week, nurse Kelly Reed provides tips for reducing the risk of scald injuries and other household burns, which can be severe, especially for babies and seniors. Reed is the burn injury prevention and education outreach coordinator for the Clark Burn Center at Upstate.

Then, weight-loss surgery reduces the size of the stomach, but it also affects the ecosystem within the gut, known as the microbiome. Dr. Timothy Shope, the chief of bariatric surgery at Upstate, explains the impact on the microbiome and its role in weight loss.

And, Dr. Robert Sherman, an orthopedic surgeon, walks us through how to determine whether a patient needs a partial or a total knee replacement.

Listen to Healthlink on Air every Sunday at 6 a.m. on WRVO.

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