Cosmetic Bliss have announced that they are now able to offer patients the Heliosphere Air-Filled Intragastric Balloon weight loss programme at their partner hospital Nemocnice Breclav in the Czech Republic. The cost – fully inclusive of flights, accommodation, transport, procedure – including removal of the Balloon after 6 months – AND a 2 year support package is only £3,400 (3,990 euro)
The procedure, which is performed by an endoscopic specialist (no surgical incisions required!) is a very useful addition to the range of Bariatric procedures (Gastric Banding & Sleeve Gastrectomy) the company provides. All weight loss patients are under the care of Dr Michal Cierny PhD – the renowned Bariatric Surgeon who performs all Cosmetic Bliss Obesity surgery, but this procedure will be carried out by Dr Martin Kriz, the Hospital’s Chief Surgeon and specialist endoscopist, and Dr Otto Riebel, the senior endoscopist.
Michael Dermody of Cosmetic Bliss said:
“The Gastric Balloon, which is put into the stomach for 6 months and allows patients to eat much less, thereby reducing food volume and calorie intake, is a very useful and proven medical Weight Loss procedure. It is ideal for those patients who are either just that bit too small for surgery such as a Lap Band or a Sleeve Gastrectomy, but still find it impossible to sustain weight loss by other methods. Also it can be useful if a patient has a medical condition which would not allow them to have surgery, or if their BMI is so high that surgery would be unsafe without first losing some weight.
We offered the saline filled BIB Balloon to patients for several years, but found that it was hard for some of them to tolerate it inside their stomachs. It took a lot to get used to – weighing more than half a Kilo when inflated! This new air-filled balloon, being double skinned and coated with pure gold on the inside (to prevent air molecules from escaping and causing the balloon to deflate) is more expensive, but because it weighs only 30g, patients find it much easier to get used to.
We tell everyone who comes to us for weight loss that NO procedure is a magic wand, and if they are to be successful they must change their diet and eating habits. The real secret is taking full advantage of the support we offer before and after the procedure. This is especially the case with the Balloon. It comes out after 6 months, and our patients must use the time it is inside to re-educate themselves and keep up the eating habits, portion control and increased exercise activity they have learnt. That’s why we have an extended 2 year support programme with nutrition, diet exercise and behaviour modification advice for Balloon patients – this is absolutely vital to make sure they get the most from it�
For more information visit http://www.cosmeticbliss.co.uk/p/weight-loss-surgery/gastric-balloon

HealthNewsDigest.com, 14th December 2009

As the New Year is coming, it’s time for reflections, comparisons and new plans. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery don’t have the exact figures yet but more procedures are expected to have been carried out this year than in the previous years.

In 2010 even more bariatric surgeries will take place. This is partly due to the increasing number of patients with type 2 diabetes. By 2034, an estimated 44 million of Americans will suffer from this disease. The reason of this situation is the ageing of the population and the obesity epidemic.
Teenagers are the next group in which weigh-loss surgery will be carried more frequently in the next years, as the latest studies show improved heart health of obese teens after the procedure. This means that after the surgery, teenagers are less likely to have heart disease as adults.

In favour of bariatric surgery are also less invasive procedures, such as transoral gastroplastry. Studies will continue to ensure the new procedures are even less invasive and that the healing time is shorter.

One of the main problems after the weight-loss surgery at the moment is that patients are left with loose skin in visible areas. A new procedure, the corset trunkplasty, will be available in 2010. It targets above the belly button flab to recreate the before-the-obesity body in both men and women.

The new year will surely bring more information about new procedures, such as endoluminal sleeve (EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner). This new surgery is still in the process of growth and consists on lining the upper small intestine with the impermeable sleeve. It will bring the benefits of surgery without complications and risks.

Not only patients with BMI of 35 and more will be eligible for the weight-loss surgery in the coming year. It has been planned to also include patients with lower BMI who suffer from diabetes.

On 1st November 2009 Cosmetic Bliss and Dr Michal Cierny PhD (Bariatric Surgeon) moved from the BMI Clinic in Brno where they had worked for over two years performing Gastric Band operations and Sleeve Gastrectomies, to Breclav Hospital near Brno.
The move was carried out to enable Dr Cierny to create a European Centre of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery. Dr Cierny plans to develop and extend his activities in the field of Bariatric Surgery by offering a wider range of procedures for Czech patients and also for patients from English-speaking countries who are brought to him and cared for by Cosmetic Bliss. The new centre, The Bariatric and Metabolic Centre, Breclav Hospital will fully integrate the disciplines of the dietitians, diabetologists, internal medicine specialists, anaesthetists and surgeon, and the comprehensive resuscitation, cardiac and ICU facilities of this large and well equipped hospital enable those patients with serious health problems to safely undergo surgery. Breclav Hospital is currently the only hospital in Europe to hold certificates for international standards ISO 9001. ISO 13001 and OHSAS 18001.
Dr Cierny said “I am more than ever convinced that it is vital to have a complete multi-disciplinary approach to the problems of obesity. Surgery is shown to be the long-term solution to morbid obesity, but surgery is only truly effective when the patients can receive the support and continuing encouragement and guidance of other professionals in the journey through their weight loss after their surgical procedure.”
Michael Dermody, one of the directors of Cosmetic Bliss, the UK company that arranges for English-speaking patients from UK, Eire and the USA to come for Weight Loss Surgery to Dr Cierny and Breclav Hospital welcomed this move, and suppported Dr Cierny’s comments. He added “I believe that psychological preparation for surgery, whether it is Banding, a Sleeve Gastrectomy, a Gastric Bypass or even a non-surgical intervention such as a stomach balloon is the most important factor in enabling the outcome of the procedure to be successful. I became even more aware of this during my own journey through weight loss after Dr Cierny performed a Sleeve Gastrectomy on me in September 2008. I have seen many cases of patients – both through the NHS and privately in the UK – going through weight loss surgery with inadequate preparation and information beforehand and little follow-up or counselling afterwards to enable them to understand the emotional changes and the changes in their relationship with food that weight loss after surgery brings about. We invest a great deal of our time and resources to ensure our patients are fully prepared for their procedure, and do our utmost to create a network of support, in terms of diet, nutrition and psychological assistance which our patients can call on in the months and years after their surgery. We really encourage our patients to maintain regular contact with us and with fellow patients. Quite honestly, Weight Loss Surgery is not a cheap nor an easy option, and it is wrong that people should make such a major investment, emotionally and financially, only to be left to fail because of inadequate preparation or poor support and follow up. In the UK, NICE (the National Institute for Clinical Excellence) has embraced the IFSO (International Federation of Surgeons in Obesity) criteria for acceptance of patients for surgical weight loss treatment, and part of those criteria involve careful psychological evaluation to ensure the patient is well placed to benefit from surgery. I know many UK PCTs set much tougher standards in terms of arbitrarily imposing higher BMI requirements on local candidates for surgery and this is clearly an attempt to limit the costs to the NHS of surgical procedures, but I believe they would be much better advised to concentrate on providing adequate support and counselling for those morbidly obese candidates for surgery they are able to afford to treat; in the long run this would prove a much more cost-effective option in terms of successful weight loss and the reduction of NHS costs in dealing with some of the co-morbidities associated with obesity such as Type II Diabetes and Hypertension”
Cosmetic Bliss is well placed to accept new patients for surgery with Dr Cierny in Breclav Hospital because of the new unit, though there is a waiting list of approximately 1 month.

Mirror.co.uk, 28th July 1009

William McBride was 14 stone at the age of 10. He could barely walk, not to mention other activities other 10-year-olds do.

William was the world’s youngest patient who underwent the weight-loss surgery. He lost five stone in a year and, as he says, the operation changed his life.

Today William is 12 and weights just over eight stone. “I just feel so good and I don’t have to spend my days in a wheelchairâ€�, he says. “I can still eat what I want, but I’m no longer hungry all the time. My life has changed so much. I can walk wherever I want to go and just feel so much better.”
Obesity is a rising problem all over the world. In England, it doubled in the last fifteen years. Reports predict that 90% of today’s children could be overweight by 2050.

Obesity is expected to cost the nation £50 billion, which is half of the annual NHS budget.

William’s story shows that the problem might be resolved relatively easily. But not all weight-loss surgeons agree with operations at such young age. The boy was refused the weight-loss procedure by the doctors in his country and had to travel 3,000 miles to Spain where the operation took place.
William’s mum, Dina, says she was aware of the risks. But, as she also says, it saved his life because if he didn’t have the operation, chances were he wouldn’t live much longer.

Doctors in America thought the operation was too dangerous for such a young patient. That’s why Dina took her son to Spain. William had lap sleeve gastrectomy in March 2007. The left part of his stomach was removed. Now, it’s only 15% of the normal stomach size, meaning he only needs to eat a bit in order to feel full.

In the UK, until recently, such procedures were not recommended to patients below 18. The rules changed in 2006 but they say weight-loss surgery should be the last resort for the obese children if their health is threatened by their weight.

Dina strongly believes the surgery was the only resort for William. He was not only over-eating but had also a genetic condition which made his weight putting on. What’s more, he was on steroids for asthma which was getting it even worse.

Dina and her husband John had taken William to many doctors when they realised he weighted nine stone at the age of seven. He also had Blount’s disease, a growth disorder. Together with his obesity, it made him use a wheelchair.

As he was barely moving, he piled up 193lbs which is morbidly dangerous for such a young person.

Dina and John were desperate to do something to save his life, even though they knew there were risks. They say now that the £10,000 they spent was the best money spent ever.

Boston Channel.com, 13th July 2009

A new weight-loss technique that does not leave scars is being tested by doctors in New England at the moment. The procedure is called Transoral Gastroplasty (TOGA) and consists of entering the endoscope into a patient’s mouth down their esophagus. The operation can reduce the size of the stomach to about three inches long and one inch wide.

TOGA is still being tested but compared to the other procedures, it seems to be effective, less painful and reduce the recovery time.

Dr. John Kelly from the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester says that most of the patients feel better after 24-48 hours.

Lissa Haynes underwent the new procedure a few months ago. Before that she suffered from the sleep apnea, had high blood pressure and cholesterol. Thanks to the TOGA she lost 50 pounds and much improved the quality of her life. Both her cholesterol and blood pressure are below normal now. And what’s more, she doesn’t have a single scar on her body.

“It’s changed my life. It’s just so easy,â€� said Haynes. “I feel like I was given a gift.â€�This procedure is not risk-free, though. Some of the risks consist of puncturing the esophagus and also risks associated with undergoing anesthesia.

Doctors say that some patients are too heavy to undergo invasive surgery such as gastric bypass. They are hoping than in a few years endoscopic procedures will become a safe option.

270 patients have been enrolled for the TOGA clinical trial. Two-third of the patients are having the scar-free procedure whereas the rest are getting a placebo procedure. The results will be published next May but it will be tow or three years before TOGA will be widely available.

Examiner.com, 15th June 2009

Obesity, epidemic of XXI century, hits especially United States of America. About two-thirds of the American population is overweight or obese.
Weight-loss is not easy. Many people, having tried more conventional methods, turn to batriatic surgery. It helps them to lose serious weight as it restricts the amount of food that can be taken. In the USA about 100.000 batriatic surgeries are taking place. The vast majority of patients (80%) are women.

The very important point is that about 50% of the women having weight-loss surgery are those in their reproductive years. They need to be aware of the fact that the weight—loss procedures affects not only absorption of fat but also vitamins, minerals and some medications, such as oral contraceptives. In consequence, many unplanned pregnancies happen among those women. Studies show that unplanned pregnancies happen especially among teenagers who had weight—loss surgery (two times more in comparison to the adolescents who did not have the surgery).

The solution of the problem can be non-oral medications. The patients can choose between depo-provera or an IUD. Other options are the birth control and the ring. These, however, contain estrogen and should be stopped four weeks before the surgery and cannot re-start before four weeks afterwards. During this time another method should be used.

Women having batriatic surgery are recommended to delay pregnancy for 12-24 months after the procedure. The reason is stabilization of their weight.

Newswise, 15th April 2009

Not only severely obese patients should be allowed weight-loss surgery. Latest researches show that this kind of operation is helpful to moderately obese to lose more weight.

Until now many clinics accepted performing weight-loss operations on patients with body max index (BMI) with 40 or more. The studies show, though, that patients with BMI of 30 and 40, and diseases such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension will benefit from the weight-loss surgery as it will improve their health issues.

“We see a wide range of patients who consider surgery. The majority are people that attempted medical weight loss for years and decades without success, and they have an intimate understanding of what morbid obesity means to them in their life. They’re looking for a therapy that can give them some help,� said Peter Hallowell, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Virginia.

The newest review was carried by Jill Colquitt, a senior research fellow at the University of Southampton. Colquitt examined 26 previously published studies that involved 5,766 patients. Six researches compared batriatic surgery outcomes to those who managed lose weight in conventional way. Twenty studies compared different batriatic surgery operations.

Patients with BMI between 30 and 40 who suffered health issues connected with obesity showed greater weight-loss than patients who tried to lose weight only by dieting and exercising. Also health problems improved significantly. Those results were shown two years after the procedure.

In comparison: moderately obese patients lost 87.2% of excess weight after the operation while those who used diet pills, exercising and low-calorie diet only managed to drop 21.8%.

The study says that also type of procedure affected the results. Gastric bypass, in which the stomach is made smaller and which shortens the small intestine, led to more weight-loss than gastric banding. The other procedure consists on using silicone bands that are adjust to make the stomach smaller. The results of gastric bypass and two other procedures called isolated sleeve gastrecomy and banded gastric bypass, were similar.

One of the aims of the research was to update the information about patients younger than 18 years. Unfortunately they were no researches about weight-loss surgery compared to dieting and exercising in this age group.

“The frontline question is, ‘Is surgery better for patients with lower levels of obesity?’ Those are areas of research that are just beginning to come to light,� said Hallowell. “Their findings are very important. In the small number of randomized controlled trials to look at, there’s clear evidence that surgery is better than not having surgery. There are risks to surgery — we don’t want to minimize that to any degree — but the health benefits noted in these studies certainly outweigh the risks for patients who undergo it.�

The review was published in The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration.

Great Falls Tribune, 27th March 2009

Obesity is a big world problem that makes people’s lives difficult. Some people try to lose weight unsuccessfully, using all possible methods.

Krista Freeny is one of them. She tried all possible weight-loss diets. All of them had one fault – the yo-yo effect.

At some point she started researching about batriatic surgery. Firstly, she made a list of pros and cons. She quickly realised that the risk of heart attack, diabetes and stroke is far too much for her. She wanted to enjoy life and see her kids growing which was probably not going to happen.

Krista’s surgery took place in September 2007. From then, she lost 130 pounds and sees the difference: her feet don’t hurt any more, she can easily play with her children, even her asthma improved.

In the past, obesity was her excuse not to do anything. It was taking time and energy. Now it all changed.

Weight-loss surgery is a very popular procedure. It gained its popularity especially in 1998 and 1999. Dr. Elizabeth Martin emphasizes it is not a cosmetic operation. It can help many diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and many others. She also adds that looking good should not be the only reason of having it.

National Institutes of Health require that the BMI (body max index) of a patient eligible for the surgery should be at least 40. It means such a patient is about 100 pounds overweight. Also patients with BMI between 35 and 40 might be eligible if they have health issues connected with obesity.

Insurance companies might have other criteria such as trying low-calorie diet or follow physical exercises.

Gastric bypass and lap-band are two most popular surgeries. The lap-band procedure consists on placing an adjustable band around the upper part of the stomach. The result is quick feeling of fullness even after eating a small amount of food. The procedure helps to control how much food is taken.

The lap-band was invented in Australia in 1990s but then improved since.

Gastric bypass, on the other hand, is about creating a small pouch in the upper stomach. A portion of the small intestine is attached to the pouch which results in food bypassing a large portion of the stomach and small intestine.

This procedure allows quicker results as patients tend to lose 50-60% of excess weight in the first months after the operation. With the lap-band the same results can be seen in about 18 months afterwards.

But then, after 3-5 years, both surgeries have equal results.

The other difference in both procedures is that the lap-band is less invasive and can be reversible. The band is designed to stay in the patients’ bodies till the end of their lives even if they lost unwanted weight. Once removed, they would start gaining weight again. Placing the lap-band requires only overnight stay in the hospital, whereas gastric bypass patients stay for about two to three days.

Even though a normal BMI is rarely achieved by patients who underwent weight-loss surgery, it brings major health benefits. Weight-loss procedures reduce type 2 diabetes in 90% cases and improve sleep apnea in 75%.

Before a patient can undergo any procedure, a psychiatric evaluation and counselling about nutrition has to take place. Then, together with the doctor a decision is made on what type of surgery is needed, depending on patient’s conditions and preferences. Also information about what to expect from the surgery and how life afterwards will look like, is given.

Krista Freeny waited five years for the procedure as she wanted to be ready for it. “It’s a tool,” she says. “It’s not a cure.” She also adds life after the surgery requires lots of work so patients need to be really motivated. They have to change lifestyle, diet and start exercising, if they want to succeed.

After-surgery diet should be rich in proteins and patients should not eat anything between meals.

If those rules are not being followed, the stomach gets bigger and the operation will not be effective.

All patients who had the surgery say it is not easy but well worth it.

Looks like there is a new way of weight-loss.

Carol Poe, a 60 year-old mother-of-two, tried everything to lose weight. She tried dieting, exercising, batriatic surgery. These methods were not effective and Carol decided to undergo the most radical treatment – brain surgery.

She was desperate to lose weight. At her heaviest, she weighted 490 pounds, and, as she says, she provoked constant interest in every aspect of her life.

Mrs. Poe, after having tried every possible way of losing weight, knew her problem had to be connected with her brain.

She is the second person in the USA to have deep brain stimulation for weight-loss. There are parts of the brain that control specific behavior. “So what they’re going to do is … insert needles into the part of my brain that controls the food,” said Carol. “And then they’ll put wires underneath my scalp, and it’ll go down on each side of my clavicle, [where] I’ll have a battery pack.”

Deep brain stimulation is successful in Parkinson’s disease ad epilepsy by eliminating or reducing the tremors and ticks. It influences behavioural problems such as obsessive compulsive disorder and depression, and now also weight-loss.

Dr. Julian Bailes from West Virginia University says the new procedure is not for overweight but for obese patients. He reminds this disease reduces life expectancy of 20 years and is associated with other diseases such as diabetes or heart disease.
Dr. Bailes stresses that only patients who went through every other treatment, including weight-loss surgery, qualify for the study. Before the procedure, all patients have a detailed psychiatric evaluation.

“She has a good profile,” Bailes said of Poe. “She’s failed the best surgery that we know of, which is gastric surgery. … So I think it is the best chance for them, for her.”

Obviously, there are risks associated with the surgery. The minor problems might be infections or hemorrhaging but patients might also be paralysed or even die.

Carol was awake during the surgery as there are no pain receptors in the skull or brain, and only a topical anesthetic wash was applied to her scalp.

The surgery was carried out by Drs, Michael Oh and Donald Whiting. They drilled about 10 cm into Carols’ brain on both hemispheres, making sure they only affect hypothalamus that is associated with stomach. Then, they introduced a wire that carried an electrical impulse. The aim was to alter the level of electricity giving the patient the feeling of being full.

Dr. Oh followed the surgery on a computer to help find the point where to introduce the electrodes.

Carol said the surgery did not hurt. During the procedure doctors asked her if she felt hungry or full and if she was cold or hot.

The operation lasted three hours. Carol stayed in the hospital for a few days. Three weeks after the operation, the voltage going into her brain was turned on and increased over time.

Doctors say, there won’t be noticeable changes in Mrs. Poe’s weight until several months have passed. But a month after the procedure, she already lost three pounds.

Carol has to keep a detailed record of what she eats and drinks every day so that doctors can see her progress. If it proves to be an effective method of weight-loss, it might become widely available.

Gant Daily, 10th January 2009

Talking about weight issues just after Christmas holiday may not be comfortable but the fact is two thirds of our population is overweight and about 5% is obese. It is now a world epidemic.

Most people make New Year’s resolutions but not everyone is able to solve the problem. Losing weight is not easy and maintaining it is even more difficult.

How to find out who is overweight and who is obese? A severely obese person weights 100 pounds above his/her ideal weight. It is more accurate to calculate BMI (body mass index). It takes into account weight as well as height. A normal BMI is between 20 and 25. A BMI between 25 and 30 means excess weight. If it’s between 30 and 35, if qualifies as obese, if it’s over 35, it’s clinically severely obese if there are obesity-related health problems. If there are not health issues but the BMI is 40 or more, it is also considered as clinically severely obese.

Obese patients are not left alone with their problems. If they fail to loose weight, they can turn to weight-loss surgery. The most common procedures are gastric bypass and adjustable gastric band. There are also other possibilities that can be discussed with a doctor depending on the patient’s needs.

One of the new possibilities of weight loss is vertical sleeve gastrectomy. This procedure combines elements of gastric bypass and gastric band. In vertical sleeve gastrectomy the stomach is shaped into a long narrow tube. This allows control how much the patient can eat at a given time. A part of the stomach is removed so the patient feels fuller for longer, even after having eaten a small amount of food.

The new method can be performed with small incisions and minimal pain. Patients are up and about the day after the operation. It is said to be very effective in weight-loss as well as improving health problems related with obesity.