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SIR24: Bariatric Arterial Embolization Safely Reduced BMI in Hopkins Study

The procedure resulted in a decrease in the mean BMI of the participants from initially being 43.6 to 41.2 one-year post-procedure.

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Clifford R. Weiss, MD
Professor of Radiology
Director, the Johns Hopkins HHT Center of ExcellenceRadiological Science and Biomedical Engineering
Johns Hopkins University

WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study? How would you describe the procedure?

Response: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Bariatric Arterial Embolization (BAE) in patients who have a BMI greater than or equal to 35. BAE is a minimally invasive interventional radiology treatment that reduces the production of the hunger hormone ghrelin as a result of decreasing the blood flow to the stomach.

There were 10 participants recruited in this study. The participants were followed six weeks before BAE and a year following the procedure. After the procedure, the participants were admitted for routine supportive care for up to 48 hours. The participant’s BMI, weight, and body compensation were measured 1,3,6, and 12 months after the surgery.

Pages: 12

Increased Risk of Dental Cavities after Bariatric Surgery for Obesity

The main findings are that dental caries were more common in those with the highest BMI before treatment and that surgical obesity treatment can increase the frequency of dental caries

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Anna-Lena Östberg, DDS PhD Assoc Professor
Director of Research, Public Dental Service Västra Götaland
Dept of behavioral and community dentistry
Inst of Odontology
Sahlgrenska Academy
University of Gothenburg, Sweden

NEGIN TAGHAT AND ANNA-LENA ÖSTBERG, — **NEGIN TAGHAT and ANNA-LENA ÖSTBERG**

WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: The original background for the studies was the global obesity epidemic and its consequences. The implications for general health have been the focus of much research, but the impact on oral health has been studied very little.

In recent years, observations of oral health problems after bariatric surgery have been reported from both patients and dentists. However, these have been episodic observations and therefore scientific studies are required. At the same time, a larger medical study was started to follow patients undergoing obesity treatment, medical or surgical, and we were able to include examinations of the mouth and teeth.

Hopkins Study finds Weight Loss by Bariatric Embolization Principally from Fatty Tissues

The data from this preliminary study represents a healthy pattern of weight loss in support of bariatric embolization as a valid therapeutic for obesity.

WeightControl.com Interview with:

Daniel Giraldo-Herrera, MD,
Postdoctoral research fellow
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and
Clifford R. Weiss, MD, PI of the study
Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and
Whiting School of Engineering.

WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study? Would you describe the procedure and how it works to reduce obesity?

Response: Bariatric Embolization is a minimally invasive image-guided medical procedure for patients with morbid obesity who seek weight loss. The procedure is performed with tiny catheters through small nicks in the skin, deploying precisely engineered microscopic beads. These are deposited to block blood flow in the upper part of the stomach to reduce appetite by suppressing the release of the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin. With less hunger, patients can then more easily restrict excess calories from food intake. Weight loss results as they tap their own caloric energy reserves, ideally from subcutaneous fat (the deposits between the skin and deep muscle tissues) and visceral fat (the deposits surrounding abdominal organs). Protein stored in muscle can also be turned to calories for energy.

The purpose of this study was to understand if weight loss resulting from Bariatric Embolization comes from fat, muscle, or a mix of both. In a pilot trial, we used AMRA Medical’s advanced body composition measurement techniques with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine body composition changes in the abdomen and thighs, where the most significant fat deposits and muscle groups are located. MRI is the reference standard for body composition measurement since it allows for rapid, detailed analysis of anatomic distributions and accurate measurement of fat and muscle tissue volumes.

Pages: 12

Reduction in Cancer Risk Following Bariatric Surgery

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Vinod K Rustgi, MD, MBA
Professor of Medicine
Clinical Director of Hepatology
Director, Center for Liver Diseases and Liver Masses
Professor of Epidemiology
Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Obesity is a burgeoning problem in the USA and globally. It is estimated that over $100 billion are spent in healthcare expenditures each year on those patients with fatty liver disease related to obesity-induced problems.

Lifestyle modification is very difficult to achieve on a sustained basis. Insurance companies have strict criteria for bariatric surgery. Our study of a database of over 100 million lives spanning the years of 2007 to 2017 showed a marked reduction in all malignancies after bariatric surgery and particularly in obesity-related cancers such as colorectal, esophageal, pancreatic, ovarian, uterine, postmenopausal breast and kidney cancers.

Balloon Device for Weight Loss Linked to Five Deaths

“FDA is issuing an update to alert health care providers of five reports of unanticipated deaths that occurred from 2016 to present in patients with liquid-filled intragastric balloon systems used to treat obesity. Four reports involve the Orbera Intragastric Balloon System, manufactured by Apollo Endo Surgery, and one report involves the ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon System, manufactured by ReShape Medical Inc.

All five reports indicate that patient deaths occurred within a month or less of balloon placement…..”

Please read the FDA report of 08/10/2017 HERE