Bariatric Surgery News and Research

Latest Bariatric Surgery News and Research

Ethicon Endo-Surgery SEDASYS CAPS system receives European Union CE Mark, Health Canada approval

Ethicon Endo-Surgery today announced that the SEDASYS® System, the first computer-assisted personalized sedation (CAPS) system, was granted a CE Mark for the European Union for routine colonoscopy and screening of the upper gastrointestinal tract (EGD procedures), and Health Canada granted regulatory approval for the SEDASYS® System for use by healthcare professional teams during routine colonoscopy.

3 May 2010

Modest weight reduction reverses immune cell damage in obese people with diabetes

Australian scientists have shown for the first time that even modest weight loss reverses many of the damaging changes often seen in the immune cells of obese people, particularly those with Type 2 diabetes.

21 Apr 2010

Baptist Hospital extends discount for Lap-Band procedure for self-pay patients

To allow more patients the opportunity of affordable weight loss surgery, the Metabolic Surgery Center at Baptist Hospital has extended its discount for Lap-Band surgery for self-pay patients. The cost of the Lap-Band procedure has been reduced by 25 percent - from $16,100 to $12,000 - for self-pay patients only.

21 Apr 2010

Even modest weight loss brings many health benefits

There have been repeated warnings related to the growing obese and diabetes related population in Australia. Studies have shown that nearly 50% Australians are either obese or overweight and thus suffer from its ill effects like heart disease, high cholesterol and type II diabetes.

20 Apr 2010

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy receives health insurance coverage

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) today announced its support of recent policy changes by Aetna Inc. and United Healthcare. The national health insurance giants will now cover laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, a newer method of bariatric surgery that is becoming increasingly popular as a treatment for morbid obesity.

19 Apr 2010

Bariatric surgery reduces breathing problems, medication costs

Another benefit of rapid weight loss after bariatric surgery is a 50 percent reduction in use of prescription breathing medications, according to a study published this month in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

16 Apr 2010

Bariatric surgery can reduce pregnancy complications in obese women

Obese women who have bariatric surgery before getting pregnant are at significantly lower risk for developing dangerous hypertensive disorders during pregnancy than those who don't, according to a study of medical insurance records by Johns Hopkins experts.

15 Apr 2010

New article focuses on the role of registered dietitians in patient management

More than one third of Americans are considered obese and approximately 15 million (5%) Americans now have a body mass index greater than 40. The April issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association focuses on the ever-increasing use of bariatric surgery to control the excess morbidity and mortality associated with extreme obesity and the important role that registered dietitians play in the management of patients who have undergone the procedure.

13 Apr 2010

Devicor offers to acquire EES Breast Care business

Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (EES), a Johnson & Johnson company, today announced it has received an irrevocable, unconditional offer from Devicor Medical Products (Devicor), a portfolio company of GTCR Golder Rauner, LLC, (GTCR), to acquire its Breast Care business. The EES Breast Care business sells products designed to help doctors diagnose breast cancer at early stages, while minimizing patient discomfort. Financial terms of the offer are not being disclosed.

31 Mar 2010

Bariatric surgery may delay onset of type 2 diabetes, says study

A team of researchers, led by a UC Davis veterinary endocrinologist, has shown for the first time that a surgical procedure in rats that is similar to bariatric surgery in humans can delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

25 Mar 2010

Patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery increase their risk of developing kidney stones

Patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery experience changes in their urine composition that increase their risk of developing kidney stones, research from UT Southwestern Medical Center investigators suggests.

10 Mar 2010

Porter Adventist Hospital designated as Blue Distinction Center for spine surgery, knee and hip replacement programs

Porter Adventist Hospital is among the first in the country to receive designation as Blue Distinction Centers in two surgical services that have recently been added to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association's expansion of its Blue Distinction® designation.

5 Mar 2010

ReShape Medical initiates IDE clinical study to assess effectiveness of dual-balloon device for weight loss

ReShape Medical™, Inc. announced today that it has initiated a U.S. Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical study to assess the safety and effectiveness of its non-surgical, dual-balloon device for weight loss. The ReShape Balloons are designed to be a treatment for the millions who want support with weight loss, without the invasiveness of surgery.

4 Mar 2010

Positive clinical trial results of EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner device announced

GI Dynamics, a leader in non-surgical, endoscopic treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity, today announced initial, positive results from a clinical trial evaluating 12 months of treatment with the EndoBarrier™ Gastrointestinal Liner.

3 Mar 2010

A surgical cure for diabetic and obese patients

Dr. Francesco Rubino, chief of gastrointestinal metabolic surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, is now enrolling overweight and mildly obese patients -- those with a body mass index (BMI) of 28 to 35 -- in a study of gastric bypass surgery aimed at reversing Type 2 diabetes.

25 Feb 2010

Ethicon Endo-Surgery resolves longstanding patent litigation with Hologic

Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, announced today that it has reached an agreement with Hologic, Inc., and Hologic subsidiary Suros Surgical Systems, Inc., settling litigation in Ohio and dismissing pending cases in Delaware. The disputes involved patents relating to the Ethicon Endo-Surgery MAMMOTOME® Breast Biopsy System, and the Hologic ATEC and EVIVA biopsy devices. Under the terms of the agreement, Ethicon Endo-Surgery will receive $12.5 million from Hologic.

From Hologic, Inc. 20 Feb 2010

SSHS selects Eclipsys’ Sunrise Enterprise suite of solutions for integrating EHR across multiple care venues

Eclipsys Corporation®, The Outcomes Company®, today announced that Sound Shore Health System (SSHS) will undergo an accelerated activation of Eclipsys’ Sunrise Enterprise™ integrated suite of solutions at both its Sound Shore Medical Center of Westchester (New Rochelle, NY) and Mount Vernon Hospital (Mount Vernon, NY) facilities.

19 Feb 2010

Insight Imaging to provide Enterprise Solutions to Progressive Imaging Center

Insight Imaging announced today that it reached a three-year agreement to provide Insight Imaging Enterprise Solutions to the Progressive Imaging Center located on the campus of Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, New Jersey, an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, New Jersey’s largest not-for-profit integrated health care delivery system.

19 Feb 2010

Revisional bariatric surgery linked to higher risk of complications

Revisional bariatric surgery appears to be associated with a higher risk of complications than the initial procedure, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

16 Feb 2010

Center for Adolescent Bariatric Surgery performs 100th LAGB procedure

Few treatments are available to help obese adolescents who are unable to lose weight and are already suffering from obesity-related health problems. Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), an option for adults in the United States since 2001, is showing promise for teens. The Center for Adolescent Bariatric Surgery, which opened at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital in 2006, recently performed its 100th LAGB procedure.

12 Feb 2010