Bariatric Times July/August 2007

Bariatric Times • July/August 2007 Editorial Message 3 Welcome to the Third Annual Bariatric Times Buyers Guide! Dear Readers: I would like to begin this issue’s editorial by congratulating Dr. Phillip Schauer and the organizing committee of the ASBS for the outstanding academic program presented at the Annual Meeting in San Diego, California. Without a doubt, this has been an historic meeting during which our society decided to modify it’s name to Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons. As a dynamic and cutting edge society, this name modification was, in my eyes, the appropriate move. Surgery for obesity has become probably the most dynamic medical and surgical specialty and we as a society need to move and grow accordingly. I wish that the media would spend more time and resources promoting, among the population worldwide, the already well established and demonstrated profound benefits of bariatric procedures, which put metabolic syndrome and its associated life threatening comorbid conditions into nearly complete remission. Instead, I am constantly surprised to read misleading articles such as the one I read in the German journal Der Spiegel p. 119, Nr. 29, Raul J. Rosenthal, MD, FACS, Clinical of July 16, 2007. Just a week after the NOSCAR meeting in Boston, Editor, Bariatric Times; Program an article on NOTES (Natural Orifice Transgastric Endoscopic Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Surgeons) is being presented to the public as the new promising Director of the Minimally Invasive approach in general surgery. Sadly enough, the article authored by Fellowship Program, and Director of Jorg Blech and Veronika Hackenbroch in Der Spiegel concludes the Bariatric Institute, Cleveland Clinic that this will be a solution for the obese population where surgeons Florida—Weston, Fort Lauderdale, cannot perform their bariatric procedures on these patients due to Florida the size of the abdominal wall. These types of articles and advertising are misleading to the public and to the patients who will be seeking to undergo what are still purely experimental procedures. Shortly after the San Diego meeting, I took my yearly vacation and visited my family in Europe. During my flight, I encountered an article on the front page of The International Issue of the Herald Tribune, July 4, 2007, page 6, entitled, “In Mauritania Fat is Loosing some Luster” by correspondent Sharon La Franiere. In this part of the world, obesity is seen by men as sexy and women do everything possible to put on weight. Mauritania is unique in the lengths it has gone to achieve its vision of female beauty, La Franiere said. A 2001 government survey of 68,000 women found that 1 in 5 between ages 15 and 49 had been deliberately overfed. Historically, century old poems glorify women immobilized by overweight. Girls as young as five years old were forced to drink up to five gallons a day of fatenriched cow or camel milk to become obese and more attractive. The practice is known in the French language as “gavage” in reference to force feeding geese to obtain a delightful “foie gras.” However, and luckily, now the government of Mauritania is out to change that concept of beauty and obesity. In recent years, the media and government agencies are promoting obesity as a major cause of diabetes, arterial hypertension, and heart problems. Doctors are supporting TV commercials explaining the risks of the obesity disease. Still, at present time 2 in 5 women in Mauritania are obese and weigh between 100 and 150 kilograms—an unusual statistic for sub-Saharn Africa where hunger is a common denominator. In this issue of Bariatric Times, we are proud to present the third annual Buyers Guide, solely dedicated to bariatric medicine. I am sure you’ll enjoy looking at the products that enable us to deliver better care for our patients. In addition, we have several outstanding contributions on bariatric surgery as usual. Enjoy! Best regards, MATRIX MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS STAFF President/Group Publisher Robert L. Dougherty Partner Patrick D. Scullin Executive Editor Elizabeth A. Klumpp Managing Editor Colleen M. Hutchinson National Sales Manager J. Gregory Francis EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE should be directed to Managing Editor, Bariatric Times, Matrix Medical Communications, 4975 West Chester Pike, PO Box 445, Edgemont, PA 19028-0445. Telephone: (866) 3259907 or (610) 325-9905, Fax: (610) 325-9906. E-mail: chutchinson@matrixmedcom.com ADVERTISING QUERIES should be addressed to Greg Francis, National Sales Manager, Bariatric Times, Matrix Medical Communications, 4975 West Chester Pike, PO Box 445, Edgemont, PA 19028-0445. Telephone: (866) 325-9907 or (610) 325-9905, ext. 12. Fax: (610) 325-9906. E-mail: gfrancis@bariatrictimes.com Raul J. Rosenthal, MD, FACS Clinical Editor, Bariatric Times 4975 West Chester Pike PO Box 445 Edgemont, PA 19028-0445 © 2007 Matrix Medical Communications. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed by authors, contributors, and advertisers are their own and not necessarily those of Matrix Medical Communications, the editorial staff, or any member of the editorial advisory board. Matrix Medical Communications is not responsible for accuracy of dosages given in the articles printed herein. The appearance of advertisements in this journal is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality, or safety. Matrix Medical Communications disclaims responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas or products referred to in the articles or advertisements. Reprints are available. Contact Matrix Medical Communications for information. Bariatric Times (ISSN 1551-3572) is published by Matrix Medical Communications, 4975 West Chester Pike, PO Box 445 Edgemont, PA 19028-0445, Telephone 610-3259905. Printed in USA.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Bariatric Times July/August 2007

Cover Editorial Message Table of Contents Editorial Board Letter to the Editor Malpractice Preventative Maintenance: Record Protocols and Happy Lawyers Resolution of Fibromyalgia Following Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass University General Hospital Bariatric Program at University General Hospital Journal Watch Category List Trade Name Index Company Index Products and Services

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