6th Nov, 2020
If you're considering bariatric surgery, you're likely faced with a confusing vocabulary of different procedures, some of which have similar-sounding names. So let’s untangle it and sort out what the pros and cons are of current bariatric procedures as we near the end of 2020. Quick note - a lot of the experts in this field prefer the term metabolic surgery because the surgery is designed… Read more »
23rd Oct, 2020
Metabolic or bariatric surgery is a minimally invasive procedure to treat both obesity and type two diabetes. It's also proven. A substantial number of long-term studies of bariatric surgery have shown people experience a profound improvement in their health, along with major improvements or complete resolutions to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea, and a big reduction in mortality risk. But what… Read more »
16th Oct, 2020
Regrettably, bariatric surgery isn’t covered by all health insurance plans, despite its well-proven health benefits in treating what we now recognize as environment health problems of diabetes and obesity. And some plans that do cover bariatric surgery create difficult hurdles for people in ways not seen with other treatments. It’s for that reason that roughly five percent of our patients end up paying cash instead.… Read more »
4th Sep, 2020
Sometimes a medical treatment just seems odd, and people wonder if it might have adverse effects. This is a question some raise with respect to bariatric surgery, a minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes. The most common form of the procedure today is a 45-minute procedure with four to five bandages, and it's among the safest procedures in the world, ranking… Read more »
28th Aug, 2020
With different procedures available, and some centers favoring one over the other, how does one learn which kind of weight loss surgery is most effective? We will look at some comparative studies, but it is important to keep in mind that the wisest approach is to balance both “effectiveness," which usually defined as pounds lost and health restored, with safety and side effects. Weight Loss Surgery… Read more »
31st Jul, 2020
Perhaps the most wonderful thing about being in practice for over 20 years here in northern Nevada is getting to see my patients in long-term follow up, decades after their surgery. In the case of sleeve gastrectomy, it’s particularly gratifying to see people from the area for whom I performed their sleeve gastrectomy 10 years ago. For most of them, it has made a remarkable… Read more »
10th Jul, 2020
Making an informed decision requires accurate information, and that's particularly true when you're investigating weight-loss surgery. As you consider your options, here are six questions to ask before your weight-loss surgery. 1. Which Procedure is Right for Me? Since metabolic surgery has evolved and improved, it has also become a little more complicated. Although the sleeve procedure has taken center stage in recent years, some… Read more »
5th Jun, 2020
1. It’s not your fault that the gastric bypass failed. I know that everybody tends to blame themselves, but the science and the evidence support a very different conclusion. The truth is that the problem is a result of the intersection between a person’s genetics and the obesogenic environment. That’s it. Huge changes in everything we grow and prepare and consume, combined with many other factors… Read more »
2nd Jun, 2020
In a pair of large and recently completed studies, sleeve gastrectomy earned more praise as the safest thing to do if you are battling obesity. In one study of over 117,000 individuals, sleeve gastrectomy was found to result in tremendous long-term weight loss compared to non-surgical treatment. In the 2020 publication by Arterburn and colleagues, medical weight loss without surgery resulted in a grand total… Read more »
22nd May, 2020
I recently received a gratifying email from the United States Patent and Trademark Office informing me that my invention of a novel device for use in surgery was granted a U.S. Patent. If you are familiar with the patent process, you may know it is a long journey. The new device, Non-Provisional Patent Serial No. 15/838,057, H & H Reference No. (88537.0006), is designed to… Read more »