Question:
ive heard alot about the MINI GASTRIC BYPASS..........
i HAVE HEARD ALOT ABOUT THE MINI GASTRIC BY PASS,,,,,,,,, WHATS THE DIFFRENCE BETWEEN THAT AND THE RNY....... I READ AN ARTICLE THAT IT WAS JSUT AS EFFECCTIVE AS THE RNY..... CAN ANYONE ENLIGHTEN ME....... THANKS — christina L. (posted on April 20, 2003)
April 20, 2003
Here is Aetna's take on the "mini gastric bypass" from the
coverage policy bulletin at http://www.aetna.com/cpb/data/CPBA0157.html
(BTW, Aetna doesn't cover it):
<p>
The "mini gastric bypass" has recently been promoted as a new
surgical treatment for morbid obesity. There is only one surgeon currently
offering the procedure. It involves laparoscopic construction of a large
and elongated gastric pouch and a loop gastric bypass with distal diversion
(200 cm or up to half of the small bowel) to reduce food absorption. While
the name implies "small" and "simple", the procedure is
a major and life-threatening operation, and uses the loop gastric bypass,
which has been universally condemned by bariatric surgeons for the last 20
years. Specifically, performing a loop, rather than a Roux-en-Y,
anastomosis to the upper pouch of a gastric bypass will permit reflux of
bile and digestive juice into the esophagus where it can cause reflux
esophagitis, ulceration, and esophageal cancer over a period of years. The
Roux-en-Y modification of the loop bypass was designed to divert the bile
down-stream, several feet below the pouch and esophagus to minimize the
risk of reflux. The trend towards use of Roux-en-Y and away from loop
gastric bypass was based on sound surgical experience of multiple surgeons
with large series of patients.
<p>
JR
— John Rushton
April 20, 2003
I have not heard anything positive about it. My surgeon said there is a
"reason" that it is not a commonly done procedure.
— Fixnmyself
April 20, 2003
Barb Thompsons great WLS book covers this surgery<P>
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1891231758/qid=1039629379/sr=8-3/ref=sr_8_3/104-5944030-5923118?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
— bob-haller
April 20, 2003
http://www.gastricbypass.com/SOMO.html - This form of Gastric Bypass was
developed years ago, and has generally been abandoned by nearly all
bariatric surgeons as unsafe -- several years ago, a consensus of the
American Society for Bariatric Surgery was that the procedure should never
be performed. Although easier to perform than the Roux en-Y, it creates a
severe hazard in the event of any leakage after surgery. It seriously
increases the risk of ulcer formation, and irritation of the stomach pouch
by bile, as well as risking the potential of esophageal cancer.
http://www.homanmd.com/mgb.htm - The "mini-gastric bypass" is
merely a slick presentation of an old discredited idea. Dr. Mason, who
first tried this operation many years ago, himself abandoned the idea and
advised others to do so. In fact, dissatisfaction with this operation by
patients and surgeons lead to the development of the Roux-en-Y gastric
bypass as it is now commonly performed.
— [Deactivated Member]
April 20, 2003
My BCBS policy clearly stated in my pre-auth letter that it would not cover
the mini. Chris
— zoedogcbr
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