The health care bill proposed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid includes a 5% tax on all cosmetic plastic surgery. The proposed tax is expected to raise an estimated $5.8 billion over 10 years and would help pay for the health insurance overhaul that is currently being debated in Congress. According to the bill, if passed, the tax would go into effect on January 1, 2010.
The proposed tax would apply to all elective procedures that are performed to enhance appearance. The procedures included in this proposal are not limited to breast implants and cosmetic fillers, but would also encompass body contouring procedures that are performed after bariatric surgery or massive weight loss.
Read the full post »
You will soon be able to lose weight via a groundbreaking incisionless, pain-free weight loss procedure known as POSE (Primary Obesity Surgery, Endolumenal). The POSE procedure reduces the size of your stomach without making a single incision into the body by utilizing special tools that access the stomach through the mouth and esophagus.
Not only does the procedure not require incisions to reduce the size of the stomach, but it is considered much safer than other surgical options. There has been virtually no complications to date and most patients are able to go back to work within a couple of days.
POSE does not require cutting like gastric bypass and the gastric sleeve or a medical implant like the LAP-BAND or REALIZE Band, yet similar results have been achieved.
Read the full post »
The EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner continues to demonstrate considerable promise as a non-surgical therapy for type 2 diabetes and obesity. In clinical trials conducted to date, the results are similar to those seen with the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure, but without surgery.
According to a GI Dynamics press release dated November 11, 2009, patients who were implanted with the EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner experienced a rapid improvement of glycemic control as well as a significant reduction in HbA1c glucose levels and a reduction in other key factors of diabetic status including fasting blood glucose levels and weight.
Read the full post »
United Healthcare (UHC), one of the largest health carriers in the United States, has changed its bariatric medical policy to include coverage for gastric sleeve surgery. The new policy, which went into effect October 1, 2009, is a significant event for bariatric surgery patients and gastric sleeve advocates.
UHC’s decision reflects a fundamental change in their position on the effectiveness of the gastric sleeve procedure. They no longer refer to the gastric sleeve as an “experimental” procedure in their health plans, but as a “proven” treatment for clinically severe obesity. This recognition makes United Healthcare the first major insurer to cover the gastric sleeve as a complete bariatric surgical option.
Not only does this new policy have the potential to affect the more than 20 million individuals covered by United Healthcare, but their decision could influence other insurers to cover the gastric sleeve as well.
Read the full post »
New data shows promising results for the EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner, an experimental weight loss device being evaluated for patient safety and effectiveness.
The EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner, or GI Sleeve is an innovative and non-surgical approach to weight loss that is designed to eliminate or reduce the risks and side effects associated with pharmaceutical or surgical options, while providing similar benefits. The GI sleeve is a teflon liner that is placed in the GI tract endoscopically (via the mouth) to create a barrier between food and the wall of the intestine.
Read the full post »
A clinical trial sponsored by Ethicon Endo-Surgery is now recruiting participants for a 5 year post-approval study with the REALIZE Adjustable Gastric Band. The Realize Band is a medical device used in the treatment of morbid obesity. It is one of only two gastric banding systems that have been approved for use in the United States.
The REALIZE Band was approved for use in the United States by the FDA in 2007, following the successful completion of clinical trials which began in 2003. The current study is Phase IV of the clinical trials process, also known as the Post marketing Surveillance Trial, which involves an ongoing look at safety issues after a medical device has received permission to be marketed.
Read the full post »
Nutritional supplements may not be enough to avoid iron deficiency and anemia after gastric bypass surgery. According to a new study it appears that low iron levels in some gastric bypass patients may not be due to a reduced iron intake, but to the body’s inability to absorb iron after gastro-intestinal alteration.
The study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of Chile in Santiago, followed 67 Chilean women who had undergone gastric bypass surgery. All of the women were given vitamin and mineral supplements after surgery; some of the women were given an additional iron supplement.
Even with the recommended supplementation, however, more than one third of the women developed anemia within 18 months of having gastric bypass surgery.
Read the full post »
A new low-level laser that zaps away body fat and reduces hunger could have beneficial results for bariatric patients. One of the featured technologies at last weeks Medical Aesthetics Conference was the ZERONA Medical Laser, a non-surgical alternative to liposuction for body-shaping.
The ZERONA procedure utilizes a FDA approved cold laser technology that melts away excess fat and contours the body without surgery, medications, incisions, scars, bruising, pain, or recovery time. The laser, which feels gently warm to the touch, penetrates fat cells and causes them to leak out fat, which is then removed from the body during the normal course of detoxification.
Read the full post »
Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is one of the most frequently performed types of weight loss surgery. This surgical treatment for obesity, which involves implanting a medical device to control eating, has been gaining in popularity ever since it became available, largely due to its apparent safety and simplicity compared to the gastric bypass procedures.
Although short term results have been considered successful with LAGB, the procedure is still relatively new. Until now, the outcomes of patients over time has been basically unknown.
Read the full post »
A unique approach to weight loss is being offered by Dr. Nikolas Chugay, a leading Cosmetic Plastic Surgeon based in Southern California. He claims that his invention, which he has dubbed the “miracle patch,” is a revolutionary new weight loss procedure with impressive results.
The custom fitted patch is a small piece of mesh that is applied to the tongue during a reversible procedure that takes less than an hour to perform. Most patients recover quickly and are able to return to work the following day.
Read the full post »
