| Pill makes endoscopy easy to swallow
Studying and treating disorders of the digestive system might not be the most glamorous job. But you'd never know it from talking with Dr. Fawaz Hakki, a gastroenterologist. These days, he's feeling like a movie director. The feature presentation? It's a full-color video of the tight, twisted tunnels of a patient's small intestine. Welcome to real fantastic voyage, the story of a pill-sized camera that is making intestinal endoscopy easier to swallow. "It's awesome technology," said Hakki, of Potomac Gastroenterology in Waynesboro, Pa. "In my opinion, it's the gold standard when it comes to examining the small intestine." The procedure is called capsule endoscopy and, according to Hakki, it allows gastroenterologists to view pictures of the small intestine where bleeding, inflammation, lesions and other causes of abdominal pain might occur.
Woman dies after trip for stomach op
A company selling cosmetic surgery tours overseas has stopped offering obesity operations after a Wellington woman died at a Malaysian resort while recovering from surgery. The 42-year-old's family want her death investigated, and better funding for people needing treatment for obesity. The Wellingtonian died in June, a fortnight after having a Gorgeous Getaways-organised lapband operation in Kuala Lumpur. She believed she did not qualify for weight-loss surgery here. The Australasian company has since stopped offering the operations but still offers liposuction and other procedures, and says it is not responsible for the woman's death. Lapband surgery involves placing a silicone band around the upper stomach, which makes patients feel fuller and encourages weight loss.
More political games with our health care
HB 849 is a bill that would require health insurance companies to pay for bariatric surgery for type II diabetics. I put this bill in at the request of doctors at the Portsmouth Hospital. There are different procedures, but bariatric surgery is basically stomach reduction. The bill, after being amended and undergoing about six subcommittee meetings, was carefully crafted to meet the needs of type II diabetics who cannot lose excess weight by traditional methods of dieting and exercise and need this type of surgery to stop the downward spiral of failing health. The testimony on this bill was absolutely compelling that in about 80 percent of those who met the criteria to be operated on, the surgery "cured" type II diabetes, high blood pressure, reduces heart attacks and a number of other expensive health care issues.
New York able to fend off previous demons in Giant win
History shows that November and December haven't been kind months for the New York Giants during the Tom Coughlin era. So it came as no surprise that when the team built a 6-2 record at this season's midway point, many were wondering at what point the other shoe would drop. The theory of another second-half collapse by Big Blue got some added weight when the Dallas Cowboys handed the Giants a discouraging 31-20 loss at home last week. And when Detroit Lions rookie sensation Calvin Johnson made a spectacular leaping grab for a 35-yard touchdown catch with less than five minutes remaining in this past Sunday's battle with New York, that eerie scenario began to present itself once again.
Johnson's catch pulled the Lions within 16-10 in a game the Giants repeatedly failed on opportunities to put away, and Detroit gained further momentum after forcing its opponent to go three-and-out on the ensuing possession.
Arkansas tackle tips scales at 595
Little Rock TV station KTHV brings you the story of Deddrick McElroy (video), known only as "Heavy" or "Heavy D" to his teammates at Hall High School. Heavy is 16 years old and stands 6-foot and 595 pounds. He wears a modified Triple-X jersey. Because of his weight, the team makes an effort to have him conserve his energy, such as not requiring the defensive tackle to join the huddle before each play. "The space he occupies, you're not gonna run the football right there, that's a given," coach Travis Mann told the station. Heavy has no health issues but is looking forward to having stomach lap band surgery to reduce his weight. If he can improve his quickness, he says, "I'll be unstoppable then." Hall's season wrapped up on Nov. 1; the Warriors went 2-8.
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