10 October 2008 By Julie Wilson Sunderland Echo
Obese and overweight patients cost the NHS £245million across Sunderland and County Durham last year, according to a shocking new report.
But that figure could rise to £272million a year by 2015 if no action is taken to combat the problem, says the Government.
In Sunderland, the annual cost to the NHS of diseases related to obesity and being overweight was £88.4million in 2007, according to the Department of Health report.

EarthTimes, 08 October 2008

The latest studies show that injecting fat in breasts after the augmentation surgery can be safe and shows great effects. The study is controversial and will be discussed in further details by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

The MD of the ASPS, Gregory Scott, says that the appearance of the breasts after fat injection would be much improved and make the patients really happy with the results. “The initial implant reconstruction sometimes leaves them with contour deformities or wrinkling, but fat injections can correct these problems and give their breasts a smoother, softer, more natural appearance,” he said.

PR Web - United Kingdom, October 12, 2008 –(PR.com)–
Due to the financial pressures on the UK National Health Service, the vast majority of patients who are urgently in need of Obesity Surgery are forced to pay privately for their operations.
Searching for the right option for private surgery can be difficult, and sometimes confusing. Prices vary enormously, as does the extent of care and support offered before, during and after surgery. Making the right choice when dealing with something as important as major surgical procedures is vital. Cost, though important, is only one factor when deciding where to go for safe surgery.

Following a BBC 10-o’clock news item on Thursday 9th October on the dangers of having Gastric Banding in Belgium, Cosmetic Bliss, who, of course, co-operate exclusively with Dr Michal Cierny PhD in Brno, Czech Republic for all bariatric surgery felt the need to respond.
Cosmetic Bliss hold no brief for Belgian Weight Loss Surgeons, and strongly support IFSO guidelines on appropriate BMI levels being used as a factor in risk assessment of patient suitability for surgery. All surgery performed under general anaesthesia carries a risk however, and the laparoscopic techniques used in Gastric Banding and Sleeve Gastrectomies, although proven to have several advantages over open surgery, are not risk-free. Nevertheless, under the care of an experienced specialist surgeon such as Dr Cierny, and with the support of a good surgical team the risks of surgery for a patient are much smaller than the risks involved in remaining obese. It is the duty of the surgeon and his team to make an assessment of a patient’s
suitability for surgery on the basis of this risk assessment.

Best Syndication 18 September, 2008

Liposuction as a quick way of loosing fat, is a very common cosmetic surgery these days. Thanks to the procedure the flat tummy and slim lights are possible to achieve.

The surgery is safer than other weight-loss operations but patients need to be aware of the potential risks.

The benefits of the liposuction are numerous. The surgery can be seen as a body sculpture as the doctor shapes the chosen parts. One of the differences between liposuction and other weight-loss surgeries is that here the last effect depends more on patients.

Economic Times September 25, 2008

Recent studies show that weight-loss surgeries assisted by a robot make the operation safer for patients.

605 patients took part in the research. Doctors at the Texas University Medical School analysed several factors such as operation times, how long the patients stayed in the hospital and what complications they had. The patients underwent either a gastric bypass procedure with doctors or with robotic help.

The major difference was the gastrointestinal leak rate. Six patients who underwent the operation without the robot’s assistance had this complication within 90 days after the procedure. Eric B. Wilson, the study co-author, said that even though the robotic surgery takes more time and is more expensive, the results are better and “decreased leak rates may offset the cost to some extent”.

San Diego Tribune, 22 September, 2008

More and more children and teenagers are obese these days. After having tried dieting and not being satisfied with the results, they decide to go under the knife. A few years ago weight-loss surgery was only possible for adult patients. Now the situation has changed and also overweight teenagers can seek the solution within the operation.

Two the most popular surgeries amongst this age group are gastric bypass and stomach banding. They both make the stomach smaller, and gastric bypass also changes the digestive system and reduces the fat absorption.

Aug 29 2008 by Lisa Jones, South Wales Echo

‘I feel as if I’m stuck inside a horrible shell’

A YOUNG dad has told how he has become a recluse after being refused an operation to remove four stone of excess skin from his body.

Alistair Preston, 28, was morbidly obese and told he would be dead within a year if he did not shed weight from his 37-stone frame.

The father of one, from Pengam Green, Cardiff, lost 20 stone after he underwent a £10,000 gastric sleeve operation in 2006, paid for by his mother, who re-mortgaged her house. COSMETIC BLISS NOTE: A SLEEVE OPERATION WITH US WILL COST ONLY £4,990.00

WKRC TV Cincinnati September 10, 2008

An investigational weight-loss operation has been carried out at Good Samaritian hospital.

Cindy McBride, after trying several unsuccessful diets, consulted a batriatic doctor. The surgery was very like a gastric bypass which helps patients loose weight, it was only performed in a unique way.

“We make the stomach a lot smaller, but we don’t do any of the intestinal re-routing, so there is no associated problems that we see with the gastric bypass of mal-absorption and malnutrition.” said Dr. George Kerlakian from the Samaritian hospital.

Time September 16, 2008

Gastric bypass surgery is sometimes not only the last solution for obese and overweight patients, but it’s also a life saving procedure for patients with diabetes.

There are several reasons for that situation. Not only the operation reduces the risk of death because of obesity-related diseases, but also normalizes blood sugar with diabetes.

This is now the most common weight-loss surgery in the USA. About 140.000 operations are done each year.

The last studies show however that non diabetes patients who underwent the surgery lost much more weight than patients with diabetes.