The Bariatric Examiner
August, 2010
In this issue...
(click the following links to jump down the page to each section, or use the scrollbar on the right to review all news and research updates)
Pre- & Post-Surgery Treatment, Diet & Exercise
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Using X-Ray Alone to Detect Gastric Band Slippage
Gastric band slippage has been shown to occur in anywhere from 2% to 18% of gastric banding patients. Traditionally, patients expected to have this complication drink a colored dye and are x-rayed to determine whether the bottom part of the stomach has “slipped” up through the band.
A new study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology found that it is possible to identify potential band slippage through X-Ray alone. The new and simple “O” technique focuses on the shape of the gastric band in the x-ray.
In a normal patient without slippage, the band should appear rectangular in the x-ray images. According to the surgeon researchers, bands in patients who have had slippage will appear O-shaped.
Out of 55 consecutive symptomatic patients, the surgeons used the “O” technique to correctly identify the four patients who experienced band slippage.
The new technique will allow surgeons, radiology departments and emergency rooms to quickly identify and triage patients experiencing band slippage.
Insurance & Financing
Further Support for Reducing Body Mass Index Requirements
In order to get insurance approval for weight loss surgery, prospective patients must have a body mass index (BMI) above 40 or between 35 and 40 if a serious co-morbidity is present (in accordance with the National Institutes of Health guidelines).
The assertion that these BMI requirements are too high continues to gain steam with a recent study comparing gastric banding (lap band surgery) outcomes for patients below and above the BMI thresholds.
The study found that for both groups of patients, excess weight loss at 3, 6 and 18 months and improvement in obesity health problems were similar.
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