Dear Bariatric Times Editor:

On January 23, 2008, the headline on the front page of the New York Times read, “Diabetes Study Favors Surgery to Treat Obese.” With front page news stories in addition to television newscasts reporting the benefit of surgical procedures for the treatment of diabetes, it is logical to assume that the number candidates for these procedures will rapidly increase. Unfortunately, despite the impact of type II diabetes and the cost it imposes on our healthcare system, numerous barriers exist that make it difficult to obtain insurance pre-certification for coverage. Read the rest of this article »

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Dear Bariatric Times Editor:

I noted with interest the article by Cynthia Buffington, PhD, entitled, “Alcohol Use and Health Risks: Survey Results,” which appeared in the March 2007 issue of Bariatric Times.[1] Recent inquiries to the International Bariatric Surgery Registry (IBSR) from patients or family members have been requests for information regarding the incidence of alcoholism following bariatric surgery.

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