Allergan Medical has announced that the ORBERA System for weight loss is now available in Canada and Australia. The ORBERA System is a non-surgical and non-pharmaceutical medical device that can help obese and overweight patients lose weight without the risk of surgery or drugs.
The ORBERA System, also known as the BIB Intragastric Balloon System, features a silicone balloon that is inserted via endoscopic methods into the stomach and filled with saline to assist with weight loss. By partially filling the stomach, the balloon helps a patient eat less and feel full, faster. The balloon is only temporary, remaining in the stomach no longer than six months.
As part of a managed weight loss program, the ORBERA System provides a jump start to weight loss. It is intended to help educate and teach patients about portion control and healthy eating. The ORBERA system is used in conjunction with one year of diet and behavior counseling to increase the likelihood of long-term, sustained weight loss.
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Weight loss surgery can provide lasting health benefits to children of post-bariatric mothers. A newly released study has shown that obese women who underwent weight loss surgery and lost weight prior to becoming pregnant reduced the risk of obesity in their children.
Women who are severely obese and want to have children are often advised on the benefits of having weight loss surgery before having children. Losing weight before pregnancy can make the experience safer for both mother and child by reducing the risk of pregnancy-related complications in post-bariatric women compared morbidly obese women.
This new study, which will appear in the November 2009 issue of Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), shows that the benefits to children extend well beyond pregnancy and can affect a child’s health and risk of obesity throughout life.
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Two recent workers compensation cases were settled this month that centered on whether or not weight loss surgery should be covered for work related injuries. In both cases, the state court decided that in certain circumstances weight loss surgery can be covered if it is needed to treat a job-related injury.
The two cases were separate and unrelated incidents, but in each instance the injured employee had gained weight following a work related injury and both had been instructed to lose weight before additional surgery could be performed for the specific injury. Doctors had recommended weight loss surgery to assist with weight loss.
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So far, the weight loss results seen in clinical studies for EndoBarrier have been exciting. We will soon get an update about how patients in this ongoing study are progressing. According to an announcement made today by the company developing the product, GI Dynamics, additional results will be presented on Saturday by the lead investigator for the study at the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) conference in Paris, France.
The EndoBarrier Technology is being investigated as a treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes. It is an innovative, non-surgical therapy that provides benefits similar to those achieved with gastric bypass surgery. The approach does not require surgical incisions, does not alter the anatomy, and can be removed. The ongoing study is evaluating the results and benefits that can be achieved by combining the EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner with the new EndoBarrier Flow Restrictor.
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When the results of a new bariatric procedure are good enough to impress some of the top bariatric surgeons in the country, it is good news for bariatric patients. Up until recently, there were basically only two types of weight loss surgery to consider, gastric bypass surgery and the gastric band procedures. Now, based on new information, it seems that bariatric patients will have another viable alternative for weight loss surgery.
Recently released data indicates that sleeve gastrectomy, also known as the gastric sleeve, leads to significant weight loss with few complications. Short term studies indicate that the procedure results in quicker weight loss than gastric banding with fewer complications than gastric bypass surgery. The method is quickly growing in both popularity and supporters as studies show it to be a safe and effective weight loss procedure.
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So does thinking you have a gastric band really work as well as actually having a gastric band?
Last summer, Marion Corns, a 35 year old woman from Britain, was treated with Gastric mind Band (GmB) therapy at the Elite Clinic in Marbella Spain. After being hypnotized into thinking a gastric band was placed around her stomach, she started losing up to 3 pounds a week. She says, as bizarre as it seems she remembers every part of the “procedure” and now feels full if she eats any more than a small portion of food. So far, the treatment has helped her lose 55 pounds.
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Bariatric surgery volume is an important indicator of patient outcomes, according to a multi-year, multi-state study conducted by Health Grades, an independent healthcare ratings organization. The full study results, which were released last week in HealthGrades Fourth Annual Bariatric Surgery Trends in American Hospitals Study, identifies the best performing hospitals, including a comparison of complication and mortality rates, and patient lengths of stay between highly and poorly rated hospitals.
Individuals who are considering bariatric surgery may find this report helpful as they compare and choose a bariatric program. Since bariatric surgery is an elective procedure, patients should fully research their options, including bariatric programs and bariatric surgeons as well as the various types of weight loss surgery options, before making a decision. All of these choices are important factors that can affect the surgical outcome and weight loss results of bariatric surgery.
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Patients and doctors alike should be reassured by the results of a recently completed study on the safety of weight loss surgery. According to a study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers compared three popular weight loss procedures and found that “bariatric surgery safety is actually quite good” when performed by a skilled surgeon.
Even though weight loss surgery is considered the most effective treatment currently available for extreme obesity, some primary care doctors have been reluctant to recommend it to their obese patients because of safety concerns. Weight loss surgery is not risk free, but neither is extreme obesity. The health consequences of obesity are serious and life-threatening.
The study looked at 4,776 patients in the first month of having one of three bariatric procedures – open Roux-en-Y, laparoscopic Roux-en-Y, or laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding.
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The excitement is growing for robot-assisted bariatric surgery, as both surgeons and patients continue to report the many benefits from the newest advancement in minimally invasive surgery. This leading-edge technology, the second generation da Vinci Surgical System, is a computer-enhanced device that places a computer between the surgeon’s hands and the surgical instruments.
The system does not perform the surgery on it’s own, but replicates the movements of the surgeon via remote control. During surgery, the surgeon sits at a monitor and console in the operating room while instructing four robotic arms to carry out the procedure. One of the robotic arms holds a high resolution, three dimensional endoscopic camera and the other three arms are equipped with complex micro-instruments.
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Richard DiMarchi and colleagues are taking a shot to eliminate obesity – literally. The researchers have found that a single injection of a new drug offers great potential as a pharmocological treatment for obesity. The use of drugs to induce weight loss is not new, but current methods have limited effectiveness and health risks.
By combining two natural peptide hormones, glucagon and GLP-1, into a single drug, researchers have demonstrated that it is possible to reduce weight and fat mass in rodents without any apparent side effects. After a single injection, the mice had a 25% decrease in body weight and a 42% decrease in fat mass after one week. Repeated treatment resulted in greater effects.
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