Private Healthcare UK, 1.09.2010

Weight-loss surgery doctors raise the problem many patients that are eligible for the procedure, are missing it out.

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) stated that weight-loss operations rose from 238 in 2000 to 2,543 in 2007. 6,953 operations took place between April 2000 and March 2008. Doctors suggest that only 1 in 200 patients eligible for such procedure is actually offered one.

Doctors are also against the way the surgery is currently allocated. The main factor that makes a patient eligible for a weight-loss surgery is based on their BMI (Body Mass Index).

montrealgazette.com, 25th August 2010

Claudia Farner is the first Canadian who had part of the stomach removed. She underwent the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in October 2008. Since then, Claudia has lost about 40% of her body weight.

Claudia has come a long way. She had to lose 40 pounds before the surgery. She lost other 156 pounds afterwards. She is now able to lead a normal life, to take a shower, to go to a restaurant, to visit family and friends.

HealthNews, 18th August 2010

The number of people suffering from diabetes increases dramatically. The CDC investigators say that it will double in the next 25 years from 23.7 million to about 44.1 million in 2034. The cost of treating diabetes is expected to triple from $113 billion $336 billion.

Dr. Elbert Huang says the situation becomes more and more dramatic and that we should change immediately the dietary and exercise habits in order to find more effective and less expensive ways of treating diabetes.

As Type 2 diabetes is an obesity-related disease, doctors recommend that losing weight will improve the situation or, in some cases, even heal it. Studies show that both exercising and weight-loss surgery are able to lower the diabetes.

BusinessWeek, 11th August 2010

US doctors performed the first ever stomach reduction surgery via mouth.

Surgeons at the University of California, San Diego, performed a sleeve gastrectomy operation during which they removed 80% of the patient’s stomach.

The aim of such an operation is to make patients consume less food and allow a feeling of fullness quicker then previously. Patients lose generally two to four pounds a week after the surgery.

Surgeons all over the world try to find the least invasive methods of weight-loss surgery. Dr. Santiago Horgan, chief of minimally invasive surgery and director of the UCSD Center for the Treatment of Obesity said: “Our goal is to offer patients a customized long-term solution for losing weight with as few scars as possible, and if desired, no medical devices.”

By Elizabeth Simpson
The Virginian-Pilot

Mary Writesel wrestled with obesity for a couple of decades, but it wasn’t until she was diagnosed with diabetes that she considered a drastic solution: Weight-reduction surgery.

Even before she left the hospital after the surgery last August, her blood sugar levels had fallen so much she no longer needed medication for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

A year later and 60 pounds lighter, “I’m considered diabetes free,” the 55-year-old Portsmouth resident said. “I can’t tell you what a relief it is.”

walesonline.co.uk

A FUNDING boost will see more people undergoing NHS weight-loss surgery to help tackle the nation’s obesity epidemic.

The budget for bariatric surgery operations, such as gastric banding or stomach stapling, is forecast to almost double to £500,000 this year. The extra cash could also help establish the nation’s first specialist morbid obesity service, operating out of hospitals in Bridgend and Swansea.

By comparison, £520,000 has been spent on weight loss surgery for Welsh patients over the past two years and most of the operations have been carried out in either Bristol or Salford.

TimesOfIndia

For Muzaffar Khan, gaining confidence and the ability to move far outweighs (no pun intended) losing 50 kg in three months. Frantically fighting morbid obesity for years, Khan, who is from Lonar in Buldhana, arrived in Pune and underwent bariatric surgery in May at a city hospital. Today, he boasts of fine health and speaks of how happy he is to finally fit inside an autorickshaw!

Khan, who suffered from childhood obesity, underwent the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (surgery to achieve weight loss through reduction of the stomach) at the Jehangir Hospital on April 24, and was in the city recently for a routine follow up with his doctor. He said he found out about the surgery on the internet and consulted the doctors.

MSN Health & Fitness, 28th July 2010

A new study about bartiatric surgery done in the state of Michigan shows that there is a relatively low risk of serious complications after the procedure.

The report published in the July 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association showed the findings of Nancy Birkmeyer of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 15,275 patients took part in the research. They all underwent one of three common bariatric procedures between 2006 and 2009. The operations were performed by 62 surgeons at 25 hospitals in Michigan.

Seattle Times, 19th July 2010

A new weight-loss surgery technique is being developed by surgeons in North Carolina. The new technique, called vertical sleeve gastrectomy, requires only one incision and is operated through the belly button.

A new Spider surgical tool is required for this type of surgery. Vertical sleeve gastrectomy cuts the stomach down to 20% of its normal capacity. The name suggests the shape of the stomach that remains after the surgery.

How is it possible for the surgeon to operate through the belly button? The Spider tool contain working arms that unfold inside the patient so that the surgeon can access the areas he needs.

The Guardian, 15th July 2010

The new research shows how much joining a support group after the weight-loss surgery helps to lose and maintain weight. It is extremely important to remind the post-op patients about their routine: walking, eating fruit and veg, avoiding junk food.

250 women took part in the study. It showed that only four yearly group sessions plus phone reminders, helped them to lose weight after the surgery and maintain it. All women managed to lose 0.2 pounds of weight in average. Women who didn’t take part in the support groups, put on 1.8 pounds.