Diabetes, Obesity, and Other Medical Diseases - Is Surgery the Answer?

For many physicians, the concept of surgery as the best treatment for a medical disease such as diabetes, cardiovascular problems, hyperlipidemia, sleep apnea, hepatosteatosis, GERD, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or infertility, still sounds wrong and just a ploy by surgeons to increase their business. Since 2011, however, several non-surgical societies have recommended Weight Loss Surgery - The International Diabetes Federation, The American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, and Obesity Society in 2015 for patients with body mass index (BMI) greater than 35 and diabetes, and to decrease cardiovascular risk factors.1 The concept is to treat the common underlying problem, which is obesity, with the most effective method for immediate and long-term weight loss, which is surgery. The term "metabolic" surgery was therefore coined to accurately describe the effects of weight loss (bariatric) surgery. Our specialty society named itself the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2017-03.asp].

Quality Improvement Processes in Obesity Surgery Lead to Higher Quality and Value, Lower Costs.

In the era of changes in the evaluation of medical services and performance, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has determined that the key components are quality, value, and clinical practice improvement (MACRA). Weight Loss Surgery, also called Bariatric or Obesity Surgery, has been at the forefront of quality improvement and quality reporting through the Center of Excellence Program since 2005. As a result, weight loss surgery is now as safe as gallbladder surgery.1 Even within this culture of quality and safety, improvements are still possible, as described in this article. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2017-03.asp].

Bari-Active: a randomized controlled trial of a preoperative intervention to increase physical activity in bariatric surgery patients.

BACKGROUND: Habitual physical activity (PA) may help to optimize bariatric surgery outcomes; however, objective PA measures show that most patients have low PA preoperatively and make only modest PA changes postoperatively. Patients require additional support to adopt habitual PA. The objective of this study was to test the efficacy of a preoperative PA intervention (PAI) versus standard presurgical care (SC) for increasing daily moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) in bariatric surgery patients. METHODS: Outcomes analysis included 75 participants (86.7% women; 46.0±8.9 years; body mass index [BMI]=45.0±6.5 kg/m2) who were randomly assigned preoperatively to 6 weeks of PAI (n=40) or SC (n=35). PAI received weekly individual face-to-face sessions with tailored instruction in behavioral strategies (e.g., self-monitoring, goal-setting) to increase home-based walking exercise. The primary outcome, pre- to postintervention change in daily bout-related (≥10 min bouts) and total (≥1 min bouts) MVPA minutes, was assessed objectively via a multisensor monitor worn for 7 days at baseline- and postintervention. RESULTS: Retention was 84% at the postintervention primary endpoint. In intent-to-treat analyses with baseline value carried forward for missing data and adjusted for baseline MVPA, PAI achieved a mean increase of 16.6±20.6 min/d in bout-related MVPA (baseline: 4.4±5.5 to postintervention: 21.0±21.4 min/d) compared to no change (-0.3±12.7 min/d; baseline: 7.9±16.6 to postintervention: 7.6±11.5 min/d) for SC (P=.001). Similarly, PAI achieved a mean increase of 21.0±26.9 min/d in total MVPA (baseline: 30.9±21.2 to postintervention: 51.9±30.0 min/d), whereas SC demonstrated no change (-0.1±16.3 min/d; baseline: 33.7±33.2 to postintervention: 33.6±28.5 minutes/d) (P=.001). CONCLUSION: With behavioral intervention, patients can significantly increase MVPA before bariatric surgery compared to SC. Future studies should determine whether preoperative increases in PA can be maintained postoperatively and contribute to improved surgical outcomes.

Ecological momentary assessment of the relationship between intention and physical activity behavior in bariatric surgery patients.

BACKGROUND: Performing habitual physical activity (PA) is challenging for many bariatric surgery patients. PURPOSE: We used electronic ecological momentary assessment to naturalistically examine whether insufficient PA among bariatric surgery patients was due to infrequent PA intentions or inadequate follow through on PA intentions. METHOD: Twenty-one patients 6-months post-bariatric surgery were recruited from multiple clinics in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. Participants used a palmtop computer upon waking for 6 days to indicate whether they intended to be active, and if so, the amount of PA they intended to perform in bouts ≥10 min. Each evening, participants reported PA minutes and barriers encountered that day. RESULTS: All 21 participants reported intending to be active on at least 1 day but only 9 (42%) intended to be active on ≥70% of days. Twelve (57%) participants performed PA on each of the days they intended, but none achieved the amount of PA they intended on all of these days. Overall, participants had PA intentions on 81 of 123 days (66%); these were partially implemented (≥10 PA minutes) on 49 days, but fully implemented on only 15 days. Participants spent 34 min in PA, or 20 fewer minutes than intended. "Lack of time" was the only frequently cited barrier, particularly on days that PA was neither intended nor performed. CONCLUSION: Few patients intended to be active on a near daily basis and all patients had difficulty in implementing their intentions. Interventions that target planning strategies may help facilitate PA intentions and limit discrepancy between intended and actual PA.

Objective assessment of time spent being sedentary in bariatric surgery candidates.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery candidates spend very little time in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (≥ 3 metabolic equivalents [METs]). This study examined (1) how much of their remaining time is spent in sedentary behaviors (SB < 1.5 METs) compared to light-intensity activities (1.5­2.9 METs) and (2) whether sedentary time varies by BMI. METHODS: Daily time (hours, %) spent in SB was examined in 42 surgery candidates (BMI = 49.5 ± 7.9 kg/m2) using the SenseWear Pro2 Armband. Participants were stratified by BMI to assess the relationship between degree of obesity and SB. RESULTS: Participants wore the armband for 5.4 ± 0.7 days and 13.3 ± 1.7 h/day. On average, 81.4% (10.9 ± 2.1 h/day)of this time was spent in SB. Participants with BMI ≥ 50 spent nearly an hour more per day in SB than those with BMI 35­49.9 (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric surgery candidates spend over 80%of their time in SB. Reducing SB may help to increase physical activity in these patients.