Health News
Two recent studies have been released that indicate the gastric bypass procedure is a more effective weight loss surgery option as compared to other weight loss surgery procedures. More information on the studies can be found here.
Christina Li, M.D, FACS, and Division Head of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Sinai Hospital, says she concurs with the study results.
"The gastric bypass is generally considered to be the gold standard for weight loss surgery, against which other weight loss surgeries are compared," she said. "It is known that gastric bypass is an excellent metabolic as well as weight loss surgery, making it a powerful tool in combating diabetes; in fact, it is the best known surgical treatment for diabetes and one that has been proposed (but not yet approved) as a surgery for poorly controlled diabetics, regardless of the patient's weight."
Dr. Li says she sees improvements in patients' sugar levels within 24 to 36 hours following surgery, and usually makes changes in patients' medication regimens prior to discharge from the hospital.
"In addition, gastric bypass surgery can be done safely and laparoscopically, allowing patients to be discharged after staying only one to two days in the hospital," she says. "I would also agree with Dr. Khalili's assessment that it is difficult to compare the adjustable gastric band data to the gastric bypass data after only one year. It does take patients longer to lose weight with the gastric band - 3 years or more - but this is usually known to and accepted by patients prior to the device being implanted. It is also known that the gastric band can help to improve diabetes, but this is mainly due to the weight loss that people experience rather than a direct metabolic effect as seen with the gastric bypass."
Dr. Li says each of the surgeries mentioned - gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and gastric banding - "appeal to each individual for different reasons, and people may have different comfort levels with each of the surgeries."
"Most importantly, potential patients really need to learn about the surgeries via the internet and at informational seminars, such as the ones we have monthly at Sinai Hospital, and discuss their choices with their physicians. Ultimately, we as bariatric surgeons are here to educate patients and help them to select the best weight loss surgery that will suit their needs, fit with their health and lifestyle, and match their comfort level," Dr. Li says.
For more information on the LifeBridge Health Bariatrics Program with Centers at Sinai Hospital and Northwest Hospital, call 410 - 601 - WELL (9355) or click here.
-Betsy Haley
- Weight Gain After Gastric Bypass Is Common; Study Will See If Post-operative Supervision Helps Keep It Off
Though 200,000 people undergo gastric bypass surgery to lose weight each year, more than half of patients put back on at least 20 percent of the weight they lost, research-reporting service Newswise reports. A new study will test whether supervising patients'...
- Tweeted Surgery A Success
Today's gastric sleeve surgery, which LifeBridge Health tweeted live, was a success. The patient, a morbidly obese man weighing 362 pounds, is expected to fully recover. His ideal weight is 159 pounds. Gastric sleeve is not gastric bypass. In the...
- Sinai Hospital Of Baltimore Physician Performs Rare Single-incision Surgery For Weight Loss
Alex Gandsas, M.D., M.B.A., head of the Division of Bariatric & Minimally Invasive Surgery at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, successfully completed a weight loss operation known as ?gastric sleeve? using a single keyhole incision. ?It is a very complicated...
- Gastric Sleeve Procedure Helps Bariatric Patients Lose Weight, Improve Blood Pressure And Diabetes
I've previously posted about the health advantages of bariatric surgery. The gastric sleeve is a relatively new approach. It involves re-shaping the stomach into a narrow tube, or sleeve. Unlike the gastric bypass or the band, the sleeve does not...
- Bariatric Surgery At Sinai Hospital
Dr. Alex Gandsas, head of the Division of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Sinai Hospital To an outsider, gastric bypass surgery may seem to be a way of treating obesity. But Alejandro Gandsas, M.D., head of the Division of Bariatric and Minimally...
Health News
Latest Research Indicates Gastric Bypass Most Effective Weight Loss Surgery
Two recent studies have been released that indicate the gastric bypass procedure is a more effective weight loss surgery option as compared to other weight loss surgery procedures. More information on the studies can be found here.
Christina Li, M.D, FACS, and Division Head of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Sinai Hospital, says she concurs with the study results.
"The gastric bypass is generally considered to be the gold standard for weight loss surgery, against which other weight loss surgeries are compared," she said. "It is known that gastric bypass is an excellent metabolic as well as weight loss surgery, making it a powerful tool in combating diabetes; in fact, it is the best known surgical treatment for diabetes and one that has been proposed (but not yet approved) as a surgery for poorly controlled diabetics, regardless of the patient's weight."
Dr. Li says she sees improvements in patients' sugar levels within 24 to 36 hours following surgery, and usually makes changes in patients' medication regimens prior to discharge from the hospital.
"In addition, gastric bypass surgery can be done safely and laparoscopically, allowing patients to be discharged after staying only one to two days in the hospital," she says. "I would also agree with Dr. Khalili's assessment that it is difficult to compare the adjustable gastric band data to the gastric bypass data after only one year. It does take patients longer to lose weight with the gastric band - 3 years or more - but this is usually known to and accepted by patients prior to the device being implanted. It is also known that the gastric band can help to improve diabetes, but this is mainly due to the weight loss that people experience rather than a direct metabolic effect as seen with the gastric bypass."
Dr. Li says each of the surgeries mentioned - gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and gastric banding - "appeal to each individual for different reasons, and people may have different comfort levels with each of the surgeries."
"Most importantly, potential patients really need to learn about the surgeries via the internet and at informational seminars, such as the ones we have monthly at Sinai Hospital, and discuss their choices with their physicians. Ultimately, we as bariatric surgeons are here to educate patients and help them to select the best weight loss surgery that will suit their needs, fit with their health and lifestyle, and match their comfort level," Dr. Li says.
For more information on the LifeBridge Health Bariatrics Program with Centers at Sinai Hospital and Northwest Hospital, call 410 - 601 - WELL (9355) or click here.
-Betsy Haley
- Weight Gain After Gastric Bypass Is Common; Study Will See If Post-operative Supervision Helps Keep It Off
Though 200,000 people undergo gastric bypass surgery to lose weight each year, more than half of patients put back on at least 20 percent of the weight they lost, research-reporting service Newswise reports. A new study will test whether supervising patients'...
- Tweeted Surgery A Success
Today's gastric sleeve surgery, which LifeBridge Health tweeted live, was a success. The patient, a morbidly obese man weighing 362 pounds, is expected to fully recover. His ideal weight is 159 pounds. Gastric sleeve is not gastric bypass. In the...
- Sinai Hospital Of Baltimore Physician Performs Rare Single-incision Surgery For Weight Loss
Alex Gandsas, M.D., M.B.A., head of the Division of Bariatric & Minimally Invasive Surgery at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, successfully completed a weight loss operation known as ?gastric sleeve? using a single keyhole incision. ?It is a very complicated...
- Gastric Sleeve Procedure Helps Bariatric Patients Lose Weight, Improve Blood Pressure And Diabetes
I've previously posted about the health advantages of bariatric surgery. The gastric sleeve is a relatively new approach. It involves re-shaping the stomach into a narrow tube, or sleeve. Unlike the gastric bypass or the band, the sleeve does not...
- Bariatric Surgery At Sinai Hospital
Dr. Alex Gandsas, head of the Division of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Sinai Hospital To an outsider, gastric bypass surgery may seem to be a way of treating obesity. But Alejandro Gandsas, M.D., head of the Division of Bariatric and Minimally...