This pilot study demonstrates that the less-invasive method used in endoscopic intraluminal suturing is safe and effective. All patients achieved significant weight loss, ranging from 15 to 49 kilos at month nine. Researchers also observed a clinically significant reduction in the patients' cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
"The use of the bard endoscopic suturing kit during a vertical gastroplasty helped obese patients achieve significant weight loss without enduring an invasive procedure," said Dr. Roberto Fogel, lead investigator on the study. "Since the abdominal wall is never cut, the surgery and recovery time is much faster. We hope to use this technology in the future to help bring promise to a larger population of obese patients."
The Best Laparoscopic Bariatric Operation for Older Patients: Comparison of Outcome After the Band, Vertical Gastrectomy (VG), Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RGB), and Duodenal Switch (DS) Operations (Abstract 281)
With the number of obesity surgeries increasing by 650 percent since the early nineties, researchers are examining the risks of the procedures for specific populations. The level of risk is related to the specific procedure and the patient's age, degree of obesity and other medical conditions. This study by researchers at California Pacific Medical Center attempts to determine which of the bariatric operations results in best outcome for patients over the age of 50.
Over a two-year period beginning in November 2002, one of four primary laparoscopic bariatric operations was performed on 166 patients aged 50 years and older.
The types of operations performed included: Lap-Band (BAND), or
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16-May-2005