Obestatin regulates adipocyte function and protects against diet-induced insulin resistance and inflammation.

The metabolic actions of the ghrelin gene-derived peptide obestatin are still unclear. We investigated obestatin effects in vitro, on adipocyte function, and in vivo, on insulin resistance and inflammation in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Obestatin effects on apoptosis, differentiation, lipolysis, and glucose uptake were determined in vitro in mouse 3T3-L1 and in human subcutaneous (hSC) and omental (hOM) adipocytes.

Obese women's perception of bariatric trans-vaginal NOTES.

Much of the discussion pertaining to natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) focuses on technical issues, with little attention to women's perception and to their willingness to consent to this surgery, especially in the field of obesity. Aim of this study was to evaluate obese women's perception of NOTES and trans-vaginal access. Sixty two obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery were given a written description of NOTES with an anonymous questionnaire exploring their concerns and opinions regarding this technique.

Esophageal achalasia in the Veneto region: epidemiology and treatment. Epidemiology and treatment of achalasia.

Introduction: Achalasia is a rare esophageal motility disorder, incurable but amenable to palliative treatments to relieve dysphagia. Given the rarity of the disease, there is a paucity of data from population-based studies on incidence and outcome of the two treatments most commonly used in clinical practice, i.e.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease and esophageal motility in morbidly obese patients submitted to laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding or laparoscopic vertical banded gastroplasty.

Background: Laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding (LASGB) and laparoscopic vertical banded gastroplasty (LVBG) are the most frequently performed restrictive operations for morbid obesity. The question of whether bariatric restrictive procedures increase or reduce gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) remains open. This study aimed to compare the long-term results of LASGB with those of LVBG in terms of postoperative GERD and esophageal motility function.

Robot-assisted gastrojejunal anastomosis does not improve the results of the laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Background: Traditional laparoscopic surgery presents some difficulties for morbidly obese patients due to limited motion of instruments related to a thick abdominal wall, intraabdominal fat, and a large hepatic left lobe, with consequent loss of dexterity and greater musculoskeletal discomfort. Robotic technique could potentially overcome these limitations. This study aimed to evaluate robot-assisted laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in morbidly obese patients and to compare the results of robotic assistance with those of traditional laparoscopic technique.