gastric banding surgery news stories on Newser

40% of Gastric Band Patients Have Complications

Nick McMaster — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:43:18 CDT

More negative news on gastric banding weight-loss surgery: A Belgian study suggests the bands are prone to nasty complications years after surgery. Almost 40% of patients had a major complication 12 years or more down the road, LiveScience reports. Infections and disintegration of the band were the main issues; 60%...

FDA Considers Lap-Band Surgery for the Less Obese

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:22:00 CST

Weight-loss surgery may soon become a lot more common, as the FDA considers a request to lower the weight threshold for Lap-Band patients. Allergan, the company that makes the band, wants to reduce the minimum BMI from 40 to 35, which could double the number of Americans eligible for the...

Teen Girls Drawn to Risky Weight-Loss Surgery

Nick McMaster — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 16:26:16 CDT

Teen girls are lining up for a weight-loss surgery known as gastric banding, prompting concerns from health experts who fear many may be sacrificing their well-being to look skinny, the Daily Beast reports. Banding is pitched as a safer, less invasive procedure than gastric bypass, and it's gaining popularity among...

Bypass Surgery Looks More and More Like Diabetes Cure

Harry Kimball — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:07:00 CDT

Just why it works is still murky, but the connection between gastric bypass surgery and the reduction—or even elimination—of diabetes is so strong that some doctors are suggesting it as a treatment. “We may have a cure for diabetes,” one tells the Los Angeles Times . While weight loss...

Surgery Cuts Down Obesity Without a Knife

Kevin Spak — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:54:17 CDT

A Boston hospital has successfully performed a first-of-its-kind obesity surgery that doesn’t require a scalpel. The promising treatment involves passing a tube through the patient’s throat, which bypasses the need to cut the patient—and reduces the risk of infections, bleeding, and scarring. “This is less invasive, and patients would...

Surgery Kicks Type 2 Diabetes Better Than Dieting: Study

Zach Samalin — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:35:00 CST

Surgery is better than dieting and exercise to help people suffering from type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. Three of four patients—73%—who underwent "lap-banding" surgery lost 20% of their body weight and were in diabetic remission within two years, WebMD reports. That compares with a 13%...