Sleeve Gastrectomy is Technically Simple, Requires Minimal Follow Up, and Results in Negligible Long-term Complications— What More Can We Ask For?
May 2012
Dear Readers of Bariatric Times:
This month we share with you reviews and comments from Drs. Ed Mason and Walter Pories on the recent studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).[1,2] These prospective, randomized, controlled studies demonstrated that bariatric surgery in combination with medical therapy is far superior to medical therapy alone when treating patients’ type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) associated with obesity. What seemed to be a well-kept secret or denied evidence for the last 50 years, has finally been validated. What I found most interesting from both publications, is that all three procedures—Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), biliopancreatic diversion with duendenal switch (BPDDS), and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG)—were equally efficient in controling patients’ T2DM. Read the rest of this article »
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Declines to Provide Coverage for Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: Disappointing News for Patients, Surgeons, and Advocates
April 2012
Dear Readers of Bariatric Times:
I would like to start this editorial by relaying the disappointing news that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has declined to provide coverage for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) as valid bariatric treatment modality. It is unfortunate that the ones affected by this decision are the ones that, in my experience, have benefited from this procedure the most, such as elderly patients. Read the rest of this article »
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Postoperative Care and the Self-Paying Patient: Sometimes Surgeons Need to Compromise to Save Patients the Expense of Presenting to the Emergency Room with Unclear Symptoms
March 2012
Dear Readers of Bariatric Times:
I just returned from San Diego, California, where I attended the annual meeting of the The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES). This conference was, as in previous years, another great success orchestrated by program co-directors Drs. Daniel Scott and Daniel Jones. The highlights of this meeting were the robots, my friends that I hate so much, and the outstanding presidential address delivered by Dr. Steven Schwaitzberg. My congratulations to Steve for a great year as the Society’s president. Read the rest of this article »
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New Study Shows Lower Incidences of Cardiovascular Events and Related Fatalities in Patients with Morbid Obesity Who Underwent Bariatric Surgery Compared to Patients Treated with Medical Therapy Alone
February 2012
Dear Readers of Bariatric Times:
In this issue of Bariatric Times, we deliver to you more outstanding articles and columns. If you have a smart phone or tablet and have not done so already, please make sure you visit the Android Marketplace or Apple App store and download the BT App for your mobile device. Read the rest of this article »
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Looking Forward in 2012: ASMBS and ACS Join to Create a Unified Centers of Excellence Program
January 2012
Dear Readers of Bariatric Times,
I hope you had a good end-of-the-year celebration in 2011 and I wish you all a great 2012.
In this first 2012 issue of Bariatric Times, we present another installment in our special section “Surgical Pearls: Techniques in Bariatric Surgery.” This month, my group at Cleveland Clinic Florida describes the linear stapler gastrojejunostomny for gastric bypass. This should be a good complement to previous issues, which featured experts Drs. Alan Wittgrove and Kelvin Higa demonstrating the circular stapler and the hand-sewn technique. Read the rest of this article »
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Prevention and Treatment of Obesity in Adolescents: A Worldwide Challenge
December 2011
Dear Friends, Colleagues and Readers of Bariatric Times:
As this year comes to an end, we are privileged to share with you another exciting issue of Bariatric Times. I am especially excited to introduce to our readership a new column entitled, “Ed Mason at Large.” I first met Dr. Mason in 2007 at the Foregut meeting in Coral Gables, Florida, and ever since, I have had the privilege of communicating with him through e-mail, mainly on the topic of bariatric surgery. Read the rest of this article »
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Patients with Morbid Obesity are Often in Denial of Their Condition
November 2011
Dear readers of Bariatric Times,
I cannot believe that it is already November and the holiday season is upon us.
This month, I urge you to read the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) News and Update by Dr. Robin Blackstone. This installment contains information with which readers should become familiar, such as news of improved access to care due to ASMBS efforts working with Health Care Services Corporation (HCSC), a summary of the Device Development in Obesity and Metabolic Disease (DDOMD) meeting, October 16 to 18, 2011, Washington, DC, and the ASMBS’ updated position statement on laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Read the rest of this article »
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