Access to bariatric surgery widened

Ontario is investing $75 million to significantly boost its capacity to perform bariatric surgery and reduce the number of patients who must be sent to the U. S. for the weight-loss operation, Health Minister David Caplan announced Monday.

Caplan said the expansion program will mean a 500 per cent increase in gastric bypass surgeries within the province, raising the number of patients who will receive the operation to 1,470 in 2011-12 from 244 this year.

The province is creating four centres of excellence for bariatric treatment, at St. Joseph's Health-Care Hamilton, Humber River Regional Hospital in Toronto, Guelph General Hospital and the Ottawa Hospital.  Click here for full article.