Weight loss surgery effective, but risk remains
Bariatric surgery is effective at helping patients lose weight and improve obesity-related conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea, according to a review of published studies. Complications are possible following these procedures, but death rates generally are low, according to School of Medicine researchers who performed the analysis.
Weight loss, not surgery, controls blood sugar
Gastric bypass surgery has been thought to offer advantages, independent of weight loss, for improving insulin sensitivity and blood glucose levels in obese patients. But new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that those improvements are related to weight loss alone and not to the surgical procedure itself.
Weight-loss surgery cost-effective for all obese
Bariatric surgery is not only cost-effective for treating people who are severely obese, but also for those who are mildly obese, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings support making bariatric surgery available to all obese people, the researchers say.
Washington University opens first adolescent bariatric surgery program in St. Louis area
Washington University School of Medicine has partnered with Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital to open the first bariatric surgery program in the area for obese adolescents. The rate of obesity among teens has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Today, 18 percent are obese, which increases their risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and dying young.