Treating morbid obesity with laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding.

Background: Morbid obesity results in multiple comorbidities and an increased mortality rate. The National Institutes of Health has stated that surgery is the most effective long-term therapy; therefore, we evaluated a laparoscopically implantable adjustable gastric band.

Methods: We reviewed 2 multicenter prospective, open-label, single-arm surgical trials--trial A (3 years) and trial B (1 year)--with ongoing safety follow-up.

No correlation between anti-factor Xa levels, low-molecular-weight heparin, and bleeding after gastric bypass.

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a leading cause of death after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Currently, various regimens of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) are used for perioperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis. Anti-factor Xa (AFXa) has been suggested as a potential marker of LMWH activity.

A description of morbidly obese state employees requesting a bariatric operation.

Background: The federal government, the medical insurance industry, and the academic medical community have disagreed over what treatments are appropriate and cost effective for morbid obesity. This debate is hindered by inadequate data regarding the true costs of diseases and who chooses an operation as a treatment option. The purpose of this study was to obtain these costs and to describe this population.

Bariatric surgery.

The surgical treatment of obesity is indicated in patients who have failed sincere attempts at medical therapies to lose weight. The BMI must exceed 40 or exceed 35 and be associated with at least two comorbid conditions. Comorbid conditions include diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, hyperlipidemia, and other weight related conditions that may benefit from weight loss.