News and Notes on the Latest Issue of BT
A Message from Dr. John M. Morton
John M. Morton, MD, MPH, FACS, FASMBS, Clinical Editor, Bariatric Times; Chief of the Section of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California, and Past President, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
Dear Friends and Readers,
Welcome to the June 2018 issue of Bariatric Times. We begin the issue with a commentary by Stephanie Therrien titled “Piranha in the Shark Tank: An overview of pseudo health claims, unregulated weight loss supplements, and modern pharmaceutical intervention for the treatment of obesity.” The evolution of this submission is particularly interesting. Initially, the author sought to write about the product CLA safflower oil based on an internet article that claimed it “won big” on ABC’s Shark Tank, a television show in which entrepreneurs pitch products and services to a panel of wealthy investors in hopes of making a deal. Upon further investigation, Therrien discovered that the article was in fact a hoax—the product never appeared on Shark Tank. This inspired her to comment instead on unregulated, untested products and scams in the weight loss supplement market.
Next, Dr. Jamil Luke Stetler et al discuss tube gastrostomy as an approach to manage staple line leaks following sleeve gastrectomy. They describe their experience with other treatment modalities (e.g., endoluminal stenting, over-the-scope clips, primary suture repair) and conclude that tube gastrostomy has several advantages, such as earlier closure time and less reoccurrence.
The unique considerations in caring for patients with obesity apply to all hospital staff. We talked to Dr. Jay Brodsky, Professor of Anesthesia and Associate Medical Director of Perioperative Services at Stanford University Medical Center in Stanford, California, about the importance of education and training on the anesthesiology needs of a patient with obesity.
The International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) has many chapters. This month, we highlight their newest chapter—Middle East North Africa (MENA), established December 2017. They have been busy actively contributing to the mission and vision of IFSO, hosting monthly webinars, a Facebook journal club, and presence on other social media platforms.
Don’t forget the Table of Contents from the previous month’s Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases (SOARD) issue, which is now included in each issue of BT. And as always, we include our usual Journal Watch and News and Trends sections, followed by a great cartoon from Dr. Walter Pories.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Bariatric Times, and I encourage you to submit any articles or case reports you have for consideration in the journal. I also look forward to seeing many of you at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Weekend, June 14 to 16, in New York, New York.
Sincerely,
John M. Morton, MD, MPH, FACS, FASMBS
Category: Editorial Message, Past Articles
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
