Gastric Bypass

LAS VEGAS — Adults who undergo bariatric surgery may be more likely to be readmitted to the hospital, have more trips to the ICU and have a higher rate of overall morbidity if they have an HbA1c of more than 7% before surgery, according to findings presented at ObesityWeek.

LAS VEGAS — Liver fat volume can be reduced by bariatric surgery regardless of procedure type, although some liver enzymes may be affected differently by sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, according to findings presented at ObesityWeek.

Adults with obesity and type 1 diabetes may be at lower risk for cardiovascular death, heart failure, stroke and cardiovascular disease after bariatric surgery, although hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia risks may rise as well, according to findings presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting.

In a cohort of adults who underwent bariatric surgery, 73% had at least one nutritional deficiency 5 years later even though 73% reported taking a dietary supplement, according to findings published in Bariatric Surgical Practice and Patient Care.

Before 2015, managing obesity was the realm of other specialties. Although gastroenterologists have traditionally dealt with some of the comorbidities of obesity, they were not in position to target the root cause and provide relief in the form of weight management. That changed with the clinical introduction and FDA approval of several devices and procedures for the endoscopic management of obesity and metabolic disease, putting GIs right in the middle of the obesity epidemic.

Obesity is a rapidly increasing problem in the United States and worldwide, with more than 30% of adult Americans now affected. Unfortunately, we are lacking in effective therapies to promote significant weight loss.