Hot Topics in Bariatrics
Executive Summary
At this year's American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) meeting, held in San Diego in June, innovation was on display as researchers and device manufacturers showcased several new approaches and technologies for bariatric surgery.
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New Developments in Obesity Intervention
With soaring medical costs weighing heavily on the US economy, it's not surprising that obesity has become a target in the health care reform debate. Obesity is costly because it significantly increases the risk of many chronic diseases. Exercise, dieting and prescription drugs have had a limited effect in stemming the tide of obesity, leaving bariatric surgery and other interventional techniques as the primary treatment options for this potentially multi-billion dollar market. But device manufacturers have a challenge ahead of them--to develop more effective, safer, and less invasive obesity therapies that will not only result in long-term weight loss, but will also cut treatment costs and better manage comorbidities.
Exploring the Bariatric Surgery/Diabetes Link: An Interview With Francesco Rubino, MD
Researchers have recently discovered that Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is a very effective tool for improving-and sometimes completely reversing-type 2 diabetes. Medtech interviews Francesco Rubino, MD, chief of gastrointestinal metabolic surgery at Cornell University's Weill Cornell Medical College, who is at the forefront of a new subspecialty in bariatric surgery called diabetes surgery. He and his group are studying exactly how bariatric surgery succeeds in reversing type 2 diabetes.
Crospon Ltd.
New imaging technology employed through a therapeutic endoscope provides the most relevant information to diagnose gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), according to its manufacturer, Crospon. Furthermore, the Irish start-up says its novel EndoFLIP (endoscopic functional lumen imaging probe) technology can be used to assist in GERD surgeries and to assess the results.