Gastric Bypass Information
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Insurance Company Looks for Gastric Bypass Alternatives
A growing number of obese patients are looking to gastric bypass
surgery for a cure.
Now that Medicare covers weight loss surgery for those
patients who qualify, more and more insurance carriers are following
suit.
The cost of the procedure is high, which can vary from $25,000 to $40,000
(and much more if complications set in). Therefore, it makes sense for
one of the biggest health insurance companies in the country, BlueCross
BlueShield of Western New York, to team up with researchers at the University
at Buffalo School of Public Health to see if surgery is really the most
effective treatment for morbid obesity.
This researchers hope to find an effective treatment for obesity with
fewer side effects and complications than gastric bypass surgery. Some
of those complications can be life threatening, which is of great concern
to both insurance companies and patients. Of course, the risk of complications
for any surgery is higher for obese patients, who often have additional
risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
Any abdominal operation will place a great deal of stress on the body.
Open wounds sometimes fail to heal, and may become infected. Additional
risks that can occur from any abdominal surgery include pulmonary embolism,
pneumonia, abscess, urinary tract infections, and hemorrhage. These
complications may be life-threatening, and are also expensive, which
give additional incentive for finding alternatives to surgery.
Many post-surgical patients also develop nutritional deficiencies unless
they carefully monitor their diet and take appropriate vitamin and mineral
supplements. After gastric bypass most patients also become intolerant
of many foods, such red meats and dairy foods, and foods containing
high amounts of sugar and fat.
In spite of the possible complications of surgery, obesity is also
a life-threatening condition, and gastric bypass has been proven to
resolve or reverse many of the common illnesses associated with excess
weight, and the procedure may prolong the lives of those who undergo
the surgery.
Is there a less invasive and less expensive alternative that works
as well as gastric bypass, without the risks? That’s what the
researchers at University at Buffalo School of Public Health hope to
find out. In their study, four groups of 70 patients each will receive
different nonsurgical treatments to manage their severe obesity.
- One group will follow a low-calorie diet with 1,200 to 1,500 calories
a day, and will participate in behavioral treatment.
//
- A second group will follow the same diet and behavioral therapy,
but will be given medication as well.
//
- A third group will follow an extremely low calorie diet of only
800 calories a day, along with participation in the behavioral treatment,
//
- And the fourth group will follow this same regimen, with the addition
of medication.
This five-year study will carefully monitor the health of the patients,
along with the amount of weight lost or gained. At the end of the study,
we will know if one of the four options studies is an effective alternative
for gastric bypass surgery.
To read first-person accounts from people who have experienced
gastric bypass surgery, click
here.
Note: The information given here should
not be taken as medical advice. Be sure to talk to your doctor
about any concerns you may have about gastric bypass surgery.
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