GPs joined the weight-loss surgery surgeons in the fight for better access for the bariatric procedures. The latest academic report concluded that the said surgeries resulted in, not only the weight loss, but also in great improvements in Type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related diseases.

The study has been published by Royal College of Surgeons and included data from 8,710 operations carried out, both, in the NHS and private sector. For the fisrt time the research took into consideration the weight-loss surgery and its effects in treating obesity-related diseases.

Both GPs and surgeons agree that the results of the study prove that the surgery is the most effective – clinically and cost, as well as safest option.

The study, analysing data from 86 hospitals, showed that 12 months after the procedure patients, not only lost 57.8% of the excess weight, but also showed improvements in hypertension, dyslipidaemia, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnoea.

Another interesting finding was that patients who suffered from a disease for a long time (ten years or more) took longer to cure. This means the earlier the surgery takes place after the disease is diagnosed, the quicker and better the results.

Dr David Haslam, a GP in Hertfordshire and chair of the National Obesity Forum, said: ‘It’s should finally put to rest the controversy around gastric bands and gastric by-passes. It’s definitive proof that these procedures are clinically effective and cost effective. Even the most cynical, fat-phobic person would have to be convinced now.’

A new tool improving the weight-loss surgery has been launched by an Irish company Crospon.

The tool, the EF-620, makes it possible for the surgeons to measure the size of the stomach and passageways during the surgery.

Obesity is an epidemic of our times. Lack of physical activity and poor diet full of fast foods, is mostly to blame. Weight-loss surgery is gaining its popularity as the best effective weight-loss method, as very often more traditional methods fail. There are numerous weigth-loss surgery options: sleeve gastrectomy consists on removing a portion of the stomach; gastric banding is about fitting a band around the upper stomach to reduce its size; gastric imbrication involves stitching the stomach to create a pouch or sleeve with reduced volume.

The new tool will allow the surgeons to measure the tightness of the stomach at time of surgery. The gastric sleeve can’t be too tight and the EF-620 will help to create them safely and consistently. This will result in a reduction of the number of adjustments and follow-up procedures. What’s more, the tool will help surgeons investigate why for some patients surgery is unsuccessful.

Crospon has received approval from the US Food and Drugs Administration.

Richard Seabrook, Head of Business Development at the Wellcome Trust, commented: “We are delighted that Crospon have been successful in bringing this latest product to market and we look forward to seeing the results of other ongoing clinical trials to assess its role in bariatric surgery.”

At the last 2nd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes in New York, supported by Qatar Foundation and the Hamad Medical Corporation, it was said that the weight-loss surgery is a recommended treatment for type 2 diabetes.

The International Diabetes Federation, organisation that collects 200 diabetes associations in more than 160 countries, has indicated that gastric bypass, lap-band, and gastric sleeve surgeries, as options for patients with Type 2 diabetes.

It was stressed that the surgery helps patients to prevent from the complications that may occur from Type 2 diabetes. The statement said that the weight-loss surgery provides a cost-effective way to treat the disease. Type 2 diabetes was called “a devastating disease” in Qatar and the region.

The Foundation pointed out that life-style changes, such as malnutrition, lack of physical activity, smoking and obesity, are responsible for the increase of the Type 2 diabetes.

The Middle East countries, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are at crisis level. Qatar dedicates “2.8% of its GDP to research efforts in diverse fields such as biomedicine, environmental science, energy, and information technology”.

Qatar Foundation work on numerous projects aiming at improving the accuracy and efficacy of the diagnosis, screening and treatment of the disease. It also wants to understand better what causes of the disease are and identify the genetic causes responsible for the disease’s development.

One of the Qatar Foundation members, Qatar Diabetes Association, works on programs aimed at diabetes management, prevention and education. It also raises awareness of the Type 2 diabetes causes in the society and holds educational programmes.