Hello Everyone,

The following clinical research investigates the safety of Gastric Banding (Lap-Band) as an outpatient procedure for morbid obesity in Canada. The four year study led by myself and Dr. David Mumford of the Surgical Weight Loss Centre in association with Mary Ann Chapman and Leandra Wells, followed 1, 641 patients who undergone the Lap-Band procedure from February 2005 to July 2009 with an average BMI of 46.7.

Fifteen out of the 1, 641 patients experienced minor complications during surgery or within 30 days of surgery while four patients required transfer to hospital from the clinic on the day of surgery and three were admitted. None of the complications were serious and all were resolved.

Not only does the study reveal numbers that show the safety of performing the Lap-Band procedure in an outpatient setting for the treatment of morbid obesity but also adds to the developing number of published literature regarding this subject.

Happy reading!

Dr. Cobourn

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Timing of Weight-Loss Surgery in Teens Important

Link to Article|http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_93538.html

TUESDAY, Dec 29th 2010 (Reuters Health) – When it comes to weight-loss surgery for very obese adolescents, having the surgery sooner rather than later may yield a better long-term outcome, new study findings hint.

Surgical treatment for extreme obesity may be appropriate for some adolescents, Dr. Thomas H. Inge, of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Ohio, and colleagues note in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Based on their experience, Inge told Reuters Health, “the timing of surgery for adolescent obesity is an important consideration, as ‘late’ referral for (weight-loss) surgery at higher body mass index (BMI) values may preclude reversal of obesity or extreme obesity within the first post-operative year and may increase the risk of weight regain over the long term.”

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High Blood Pressure: Canada’s Crisis in the Making

Link to Article|http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/01/25/f-bloodpressure-backgrounder.html

THURSDAY, Feb 18th 2010 (CBC News) — High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is becoming a national crisis, particularly among younger Canadians, say health authorities.

That’s because obesity rates, physical inactivity and diabetes are on the rise – all known risk factors for high blood pressure.

When blood pressure is too high, it puts stress on the body’s entire vascular system, forcing the heart to work harder and increasing the risk of death from a variety of causes, including heart disease and stroke.

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, high blood pressure rose 77 per cent among Canadians between 1994 and 2005, based on patients’ own reports, which are less accurate than measurements.

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Best To Lose Some Weight Before Weight-Loss Surgery

Link to Article|http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_94136.html

Written By: Laura Buchholz

THURSDAY, Jan 14th 2010 (Reuters Health) — Having weight-loss surgery? Shedding a few pounds before the surgery might reduce your risk of having surgical complications, a new study hints.

A look back at the medical records of 881 patients who had weight-loss surgery found that the more weight patients lost before surgery, the less likely they were to suffer post-op complications, such as infections, blood clots, and kidney problems.

Preoperative weight changes varied among the 881 patients, ranging from modest weight gain to weight loss of more than 10 percent of excess body weight.

The post-surgery complication rate was nearly twofold higher in patients who gained weight before surgery relative to those who lost weight before surgery, Dr. Peter N. Benotti of the Saint Francis Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey and colleagues report in the Archives of Surgery.

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Confidence Rises in Weight-Loss Surgery

Link to Article|http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/confidence-rises-in-weight-loss-surgery/1069203

Written By: Richard Martin

SUNDAY, Jan 31st, 2010 (tampabay.com) — Every year, about 250,000 people in the United States undergo surgery to lose weight, paying – or having their insurance companies pay – tens of thousands of dollars for procedures that essentially restrict how much food they can take in.

But are the surgeries safe? Do they work? And can they help treat diabetes, hypertension and other conditions caused or made worse by obesity?

Increasingly, the answer in the medical community is yes, yes and yes.

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Embrace the “F” Word If You Want to Lose Weight

Link to Article | http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/embrace-the-f-word-if-you-want-to-lose-weight/article1385126/

Written By: Leslie Beck

WEDNESDAY, Dec 2nd 2009 (Globe and Mail) – It’s hardly news. If you want to lose weight you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. But there’s something else you might want to do: Increase your daily fibre intake.

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Recession Weighs on Waistlines

Link to Article| http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sns-health-recession-waistlines,0,1108878.story

THURSDAY, Jan 14 2010 (Chicago Tribune) – The economic downturn is busting wallets and bursting waistlines as consumers shift their eating habits to help their budgets.

With unemployment in the double digits, consumers who find themselves increasingly strapped have turned to cheaper means to feed their families. And those who have jobs are working longer hours, forgoing exercise and searching for foods that are economical and convenient.As a result, more consumers are turning to processed foods, either prepared, frozen or canned and often filled with fat-generating calories, refined grains and sugars. Experts said that’s making more Americans chubbier and prone to obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes in what has been dubbed “recession fat.”

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Fighting Childhood Obesity: Is Phys-Ed Enough?

Link to Article| http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/03/31/f-physed-obesity.html

TUESDAY, June 2nd 2009 (CBC News) – Some Canadians may be haunted by memories of being whipped by dodge balls in elementary school, not being fit enough to play midfield in soccer or watching as all your classmates were picked ahead of you for whatever game was the focus of this week’s gym class. Unpleasant memories of phys-ed can turn Canadians of all ages off exercise and sport.

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Heavy Teens at Risk for Sleep Apnea

Link to Article|htto://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BL3RT20091222

Written By: Joene Hendry

TUESDAY, Dec 22, 2010 (Reuters Health) – Being overweight or obese boosts a teenager’s risk of developing the nighttime breathing disorder obstructive sleep apnea, new study findings hint.

Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, occurs when airway passages become blocked during sleep, cutting off breathing for brief but frequent periods. It is often accompanied by heavy snoring.

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Use of Weight Loss Surgery Will Soon Be Wide Spread

Link to Article| http://topnews.us/content/29508-use-weight-loss-surgery-will-soon-be-wide-spread

SUNDAY, Jan 3, 2010 (TopNews) – The advancements in the field of weight loss surgeries, that are traditionally a last resort for the obese, are now making them more and more suitable to be undertaken by people who are moderately obese and diabetic, indicating that their use will soon be more widespread.

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