Bariatric surgery as a means to treat obesity is becoming increasingly common in the United States. An early form of bariatric surgery, the jejunoileal bypass, had to be abandoned in 1980 due to numerous complications, including hyperoxaluria and kidney stones. Current bariatric procedures have not been systematically evaluated to determine if they cause hyperoxaluria. Presented here are data s...

The prevalence of severe obesity in both the general and the chronic kidney disease (CKD) populations continues to rise, with more than one-fifth of CKD patients in the United States having a body mass index of ≥35 kg/m2. Severe obesity has significant renal consequences, including increased risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and nephrolithiasis. Bariatric surgery represents an effective me...

CONTEXT Existing evidence of the survival associated with bariatric surgery is based on cohort studies of predominantly younger women with a low inherent obesity-related mortality risk. The association of survival and bariatric surgery for older men is less clear. OBJECTIVE To determine whether bariatric surgery is associated with reduced mortality in a multisite cohort of predominantly older...

Maternal obesity is a major cause of obstetric morbidity and mortality. With surgical procedures to facilitate weight loss becoming more widely available and demanded and increasing number of women becoming pregnant after undergoing bariatric surgery, it is important and timely to consider the outcome of pregnancy following bariatric surgery. This paper aims to synthesize the current evidence r...

BACKGROUND Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is formed in the liver from trimethylamine (TMA), a product exclusively generated by the gut microbiota from dietary phosphatidylcholine and carnitine. An alternative pathway of TMAO formation from carnitine is via the microbiota-dependent intermediate γ-butyrobetaine (γBB). Elevated TMAO levels are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), but littl...

The number of patients undergoing bariatric surgery for morbid obesity is increasing. Type 2 diabetes is common among patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The effect of bariatric surgery on glycemia is profound in patients with diabetes and might vary between different bariatric surgical procedures. Therefore, almost invariably, there is a need to adjust antidiabetic drug dosages in the posto...

BACKGROUND Several studies have shown improved outcomes associated with accredited bariatric centers. The aim of our study was to examine the outcomes of bariatric surgery performed at accredited versus nonaccredited centers using a nationally representative database. Additionally, we aimed to determine if the presence of bariatric surgery accreditation could lead to improved outcomes for morbi...

BACKGROUND The demand for bariatric surgery is increasing and the postoperative complications are seen more frequently. The aim of this paper is to review the current outcomes of bariatric surgery emergencies and to formulate a pathway of safe management. METHODS The PubMed and Google search for English literatures relevant to emergencies of bariatric surgery was made, 6358 articles were foun...

BACKGROUND Obesity is a national epidemic with rates in Wisconsin and the United States doubling over the past decade. Research of available treatments for morbid obesity (body mass index > or = 40 kg/m2) suggests that bariatric surgery may be the only modality that provides any significant long term weight loss. METHODS Using the data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavio...

BACKGROUND Less than 1% of severely obese US adults undergo bariatric surgery annually. It is critical to understand the factors that contribute to its utilization. OBJECTIVES To understand how primary care physicians (PCPs) make decisions regarding severe obesity treatment and bariatric surgery referral. SETTING Focus groups with PCPs practicing in small, medium, and large cities in Wiscon...