| More political games with our health care
HB 849 is a bill that would require health insurance companies to pay for bariatric surgery for type II diabetics. I put this bill in at the request of doctors at the Portsmouth Hospital. There are different procedures, but bariatric surgery is basically stomach reduction. The bill, after being amended and undergoing about six subcommittee meetings, was carefully crafted to meet the needs of type II diabetics who cannot lose excess weight by traditional methods of dieting and exercise and need this type of surgery to stop the downward spiral of failing health. The testimony on this bill was absolutely compelling that in about 80 percent of those who met the criteria to be operated on, the surgery "cured" type II diabetes, high blood pressure, reduces heart attacks and a number of other expensive health care issues.
dallasnews.com | Your Health Matters
Bariatric surgeon Wade N. Barker, M.D. and his experienced staff are committed to helping patients take control of their health and improve their lives through weight loss. For obese patients who have been unable to reach a healthy weight through diet and exercise, we offer two highly effective weight loss surgery options: LAPAROSCOPIC GASTRIC BYPASS surgery and LAP BAND® surgery.Both have helped innumerable men and women achievedramatic, long-term results[+more] Vision Correction Surgery Since 1987, noted cornea specialist William A. Boothe, M.D., has brought the world into focus with more than 82,000 LASIK laser vision correction procedures. Dr. Boothe also continues to be the busiest IntraLASIK surgeon in the world, having now performed over 44,000 IntraLASIK procedures.
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BARIATIC HONORS: The Baptist Bariatric Center and bariatric surgeon Dr. J. David Nye have been recognized by the American Society of Bariatric Surgery as a Center of Excellence. The designation is recognized by many insurance companies for weight loss surgery as it meets the highest standards of quality and safety.To earn the designation, the Baptist Bariatric Center underwent a series of site inspections during which all aspects of the program's surgical processes were closely examined and data on health outcomes were collected.Since the program's inception, the Baptist Bariatric Center's surgeons, nurses, dietitians and psychologists have provided bariatric care to more than 2,000 patients.For more information, call 434-4080 or visit www.eBaptistHealthCare.org.From staff reports .
Bariatric surgery becoming popular weight-loss option
For obese patients looking to take off excess weight when diet and exercise aren't doing the trick, bariatric surgery is becoming a popular option. The American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery estimates 205,000 people with morbid obesity in the U.S. had bariatric surgery in 2007 - about 1 percent of the clinically eligible population. Locally, Baptist Hospital's Metabolic Surgery Center sees an average of 60 cases per month (68 in August) and has about 800 patients being worked up for surgery, says Cylinda Phillips, the center's director. Phillips says the center has three options for patients, who must have a body mass index of 40 or more to qualify, unless they have a serious co-morbidity. .
Somerset Hospital offers weight-loss surgery
Teresa Matsko, Boswell, tried almost every known diet without much success."I was tired of yo-yo diets," she said. "I had GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), tendon problems, degenerative discs and sleep apnea. I've been trying to get weight-loss surgery for two years, but insurance denied it at first."
The 53-year-old housewife weighed 232 pounds in July when she underwent gastric bypass surgery at Somerset Hospital. She now weighs 182 and her goal is 150."I no longer need an oxygen tank at night and I don't have heartburn anymore," she said. "I look so different, when I went in for my three-month checkup, Dr. Pradhan didn't recognize me."Dr. Kumuda Pradhan performed the surgery. She was his first gastric bypass patient at Somerset Hospital, but he performed more than 120 at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, Wis., where he completed his fellowship in bariatric and advanced laparoscopic surgery.
The Weight of the World
Despite the obsession with weight loss in America, the rate of obesity has skyrocketed over the past 50 years. One cannot turn on the television without being bombarded with commercials for the latest weight-loss pill, exercise machine or fad diet. Yet, according to Andrew Wolf, associate professor of medicine at the University, one-third of American adults are obese and another third are overweight. According to Student Health nutrition educator Melanie Brede, "the medical definition for obesity is based on the body mass index, which is an equation of height to body weight." A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese, while a BMI greater than 25 is considered overweight. According to Joel Schectman, associate professor of medicine at the University, the use of BMI to define obesity is an arbitrary definition used for the sake of convenience.
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