ARTICLES

A Revolutionary Solution

Written by: Holly | May 2008

Millions of individuals have been ravaged by this disease which has traditionally had very few successful cures.

For someone living with obesity or morbid obesity, the statistics of them ever being able to get down to a healthy weight with diet and exercise are staggeringly low.

Bariatric surgery has been an extreme and last-case-scenario option for some individuals battling obesity but has been wrought with controversy. Early versions of the gastric bypass surgery were very dangerous for a number of reasons including risk of infection and dangers of anesthetics for patients at such high weights. While recent years have seen a great deal of medical advancements in the field of bariatric medicine and the use of laparoscopic technology, most bariatric surgeries have remained controversial, risky and limited in success rates.

Both of these surgeries hype a less-invasive solution to the traditional gastric bypass which enables a patient to modify or reverse the procedure. While these intentions are good, the success rates are arguably marginal. Many lap band patients wind up needing to have the surgery reversed due to discomfort or failure to reach an ideal healthy weight. The gastric balloon has been successful in providing quick weight loss as a precursor to surgical options to bring a patient's weight within the range necessary for surgery (as most gastric bypass surgeries have a maximum weight limit).

Henderson, Nevada has developed a revolutionary twist on the gastric bypass surgery called the Mini Gastric Bypass or MGB (official name being the Antecolic Billroth II Gastrojejunostomy). Although the MGB is one of the most cutting edge procedures in the world of obesity surgery, its origins are actually hundreds of years old as the Billroth II has been used historically for other gastro-intestinal surgical purposes.

His success rates with the MGB are knocking the other obesity surgeries statistics out of the ballpark. He has opened up a world of research and information regarding the relevance that hormones play in the world of obesity. Traditionally, the obese patient has been berated for being lazy, ignorant or lacking intelligence. Dr. Rutledge explains to his patients how this just simply is not the case. Hormones Grehlin and Peptide YY 336 regulate the amount that a person wants to eat and a person’s satiety levels. An obese person has disproportionate levels of these hormones.

The MGB surgery is performed laparoscopically with a cutting edge anesthetic procedure which utilizes a cocktail of safer alternative drugs to prevent the heightened risk of full blown narcotic treatments. The Billroth II connection that is used with the MGB also alters the levels of Grehlin and Peptide YY 336 hormones to allow for the patient to feel more ‘normal’.

Dr. Rutledge’s unique and unorthodox approach with his patients includes a ‘full disclosure’ philosophy. His patients must go through a strict pre-operative process to ensure that they are completely prepared for the life changes ahead post MGB.

For more information on the MGB, Dr. Rutledge and the Centers for Laparoscopic Obesity Surgery, click here to visit the CLOS ShopAware Page.