Big Business Is Pushing Weight Loss Surgery

Dan Frith

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The Wall Street Journal recently published an article (3-31-08) which caught my eye.  The article was entitled "Industry Giants Push Weight Surgery" and starts out as follows:

Medical-device makers, venture capitalists and surgeons are racing to turn a once-controversial weight loss procedure into the next big thing in elective surgery.

Boy, that scare me!  Who wants to place their health in the hands of venture capitalists and medical-device manufacturers - especially given their track record!

The article focuses on the surgical procedure known as "gastric banding."  In this procedure a silicone band is wrapped around the upper portion of the stomach to restrict food intake.  America has over 15 million people who are morbidly obese (typically people who are 100 pounds or more overweight) and smart business people see a way to make a profit!

Some patients can benefit from gastric banding, or even the the older but more invasive surgery called "gastric bypass."  However, this is big surgery with big risks...including risk of death!  My advice: Make sure your surgeon is board certified and ask him/her how many of the procedure have they performed and what is their complication rate!