Nicholson Clinic

Each year thousands of people across the country make the decision to undergo bariatric surgery. While some choose this option to address the cosmetic and self-esteem issues so closely associated with obesity, the reality is most make the decision to help improve overall health. Bariatric surgery has been widely proven to help those who are obese prevent, treat and even reverse a diversity of potentially life-limiting conditions. The truth is procedures such as the gastric bypass are approved by insurance companies because they address serious medical issues that go well beyond cosmetics. While those not in the know might believe that bariatric surgery provides a way for people who aren’t motivated to diet and exercise to lose weight, these procedures can have serious health-related benefits. They include: • Improved cardiovascular health – Obesity and heart disease are tied very tightly together. When people lose weight through bariatric surgery, they are likely to witness a dr...

Obesity has long been connected to problems related to cardiovascular health. Risks for heart disease, hypertension and high cholesterol are all known to rise right along with weight. New research indicates that people who undergo bariatric surgery to address obesity are likely to discover very good news on the cardiovascular front. Researchers have found that patient lipid profiles dramatically improve in the months following surgical intervention to address weight. That finding came out of an analysis of 178 other studies that included surgery’s impacts on lipid profiles. All told, records related to more than 25,000 patients were reviewed. Researchers found that overall patients undergoing any type of bariatric surgery benefited from significant reductions in total cholesterol levels, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. Patients also showed a significant rise in high density lipoprotein cholesterol, which is considered the “good” cholesterol. Researchers did ...

Thanks to its fast, minimally invasive nature, laparoscopic gallbladder removal has become the industry standard. This procedure is known to present with fewer risks than open surgery while enabling patients to heal significantly faster. It is, however, not without a potential for complications. Perhaps the most devastating is the propensity for accidental bile duct injury due to misidentification during the procedures. A new technology is poised to take this concern off the table. The new imaging method, known as CholeVision, is under development by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It involves the use of a special light that enables, with the flip of a button, doctors to clearly see the location of the bile ducts. This, in turn, enables them to avoid accidental injury to the ducts during gallbladder removal. It is estimated that about 4,000 of 800,000 gallbladder removal procedures in the United States alone result in duct damage. The light is hoped to dramatically reduce this ...

There’s more to controlling diabetes than keeping food intake in check. Keeping extra pounds off can also be incredibly important. This is especially so for type 2 diabetics who may find obesity may be the root cause of their disease. When pounds are shed, there’s a good chance symptoms will subside. In an effort to better understand just which option is more effective at controlling type 2 diabetes, medicine or weight loss surgery, researchers recently conducted a long-term trail. As it turned out, about half the patients in the weight loss group managed to be diabetes-free at the five year mark. The breakthrough study was conducted at Kings College London. To discover which method worked the best, researchers randomly assigned obese people with type 2 diabetes in to three groups. Twenty patients used standard medication, 20 received a gastric bypass and 20 had a biopancreatic diversion. As it turned out, about 80 percent of those who underwent one of the surgical procedures ha...

While most people think instantly of diabetes as one of the bigger complications of obesity, the reality is this condition also takes its toll on the heart. If it’s time to get heart health in check, it’s also time to shoot for maintaining a healthy weight. Why Weight Matters When you think about the work the heart must perform day in and day out, 24 hours constant, the burden extra weight puts on the heart begins to become clear. As weight increases, the body creates new blood vessels to supply the additional fat tissue it’s storing with oxygen and nutrients. This, in turn, increases the workload placed on the heart and increases blood pressure in the process. Extra weight can also lead to plaque buildup in the blood vessels. This restricts the flow of blood – and much needed oxygen – forcing the heart to work even more to simply do its normal job. As plaque builds up, the risk for heart attacks and strokes rise. Tips for Maintaining Weight If weight is a concern, there are ...

The impacts of obesity on the body can be devastating over the long haul. From heart disease and diabetes to loss of self-esteem and even the development of certain types of cancer, the consequences can be severe. If it’s time to get a handle on weight, there are options. In some cases, lap band surgery might provide the best route for long-term weight loss success. Like all forms of bariatric surgery, lap band procedures shouldn’t be undertaken without serious contemplation. It is best if they are only performed as a last resort, when all other efforts on their own have failed to produce the needed weight loss results. Unlike other forms of weight loss surgery, lap band procedures don’t involve major reconstruction of the body to limit its ability to hold or digest food. That means this procedure has some advantages when it is indicated. Here are just a few of the benefits that can go along with lap band procedures: •       It’s less invasive – ...