Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Wrist Ache

==== ====Further information available herehttp://carpaltunnelcure.topmostshop.com==== ====IntroductionAgainst a background of widespread obesity among all US age-groups, and the relative failure ofconventional weight loss methods, doctors are increasingly resorting to gastrointestinal surgery inorder to curb the rise of weight-related disease, and associated costs. An estimated 170,000weight loss surgeries will be performed in 2005, and although the average bariatric surgery patientis a woman in her late 30s who weighs approximately 300 pounds, operations such as verticalbanded gastroplasty and roux-en-Y bypass are now being successfully conducted on patients asyoung as 13 years.But Does Bariatric Surgery Work?While the increasing popularity of obesity surgery is a clear reflection of the inability of most obesepatients to comply with conventional dietary treatments, the question remains: does this type ofsurgical treatment offer an effective solution for severe clinical obesity? To understand the issuesraised by this question, let us examine the problem of obesity and how surgery attempts to reduceit.How Widespread is Obesity?According to current statistics, 61.3 million American adults (30.5 percent) are obese. In addition,an estimated 10-15 percent of children (ages 6?11) and 15 percent of teenagers are overweightand at risk of developing weight-related disorders. Severe obesity is also on the rise. Six millionAmerican adults are morbidly obese (BMI 40+), while another 9.6 million have a BMI of 35-40.(Source: US Census 2000; NHANES III data estimates)How Does Obesity Affect Health?Excess body fat associated with high body mass index (BMI) carries an increased risk ofpremature death. Obese patients (BMI 30+) have a 50-100 percent increased risk of death from allcauses, compared with individuals of normal weight (BMI 20?25). Morbid obesity (BMI 40+) andsuper-obesity (BMI 50+) carries a still higher risk of dying younger. Most of the increased risk isdue to co-morbid conditions like cardiovascular disease (atherosclerosis, heart attack or stroke).The effects of severe obesity on longevity are dramatic. Obese white males between 20 and 30years old (BMI > 45) can shorten their life expectancy by 13 years. African-American men ofsimilar age and BMI can lose up to 20 years of life. Obese white females between 20 and 30 yearsold (BMI > 45) can shorten their life expectancy by 8 years. African-American women of similarage and BMI can lose up to 5 years of life.

Research Into Obesity and Premature DeathA 12-year study of 330,000 obese men and 420,000 obese women, revealed that prematuremortality rates for morbidly obese men were twice the normal: 500 percent higher for diabetics and400 percent higher for those with digestive tract disease. In severely obese women, the mortalitywas also increased two fold, while in female diabetics the mortality risk increased eight fold andthree fold in those with digestive tract disease. Another study of 200 men aged 23-70 years withsevere clinical obesity, showed a 1200 percent increase in mortality in the 25-34 year age groupand a 600 percent increase in the 35-44 year age group. Average cancer mortality rates are 150-500 percent higher in obese patients.Other Obesity-Related DiseasesAside from premature death, obesity is strongly associated with a wide range of health disorders.80 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes are obese, while almost 70 percent of diagnosed heartdisease is obesity-related. Other obesity-related disorders include: high blood pressure, cancer,carpal tunnel syndrome, depression, gallstones, gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), insulinresistance, low back pain, obstructive sleep apnea, musculoskeletal complaints and osteoarthritis,respiratory problems, stroke, and vein disorders.Why is Surgical Treatment is Needed?As the facts demonstrate, obesity is an independent risk factor for a number of serious diseases.Severe obesity, if left untreated, leads to life-threatening disorders and possible premature death.It is against this background that the viability of bariatric surgery should be assessed. Three keyquestions are: (1) Does bariatric surgery lead to a significant loss of weight? (2) What are thehealth benefits of surgery? (3) What are health risks?Does Bariatric Surgery Lead To A Significant Loss of Weight?Yes. According to most patient-surveys the health and weight reduction benefits of bariatricsurgery exceed all other treatment methods by a wide margin. Weight loss surgery is consideredsuccessful when excess weight is reduced by 50 percent and the weight loss is sustained for fiveyears. At present, average excess weight reduction at five years is 45-75 percent after gastricbypass and 40-60 percent after vertical banded gastroplasty. In a statistical review of over 600bariatric patients following gastric bypass, with 96 percent follow-up, mean excess weight loss stillexceeded 50 percent of initial excess weight at fourteen years. Another 10 year follow-up studyfrom the University of Virginia reports weight reduction of 60 percent of excess weight at 5 yearsand in the mid 50s between years 6 and 10. A significant percentage of less-committed patientsdo regain weight 2-5 years after having surgery, especially those who undergo the less drasticstomach banding procedure, but if the patient is well motivated and given proper post-operativesupport, the weight loss is usually permanent. By comparison, according to one 4-year study ofnon-surgical weight loss programs involving obesity medication, behavior modification, diet andexercise, average weight reduction was 3 pounds in those subjects who were followed for the fouryears of the study.What Are The Health Benefits of Surgery?

According to the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity (IFSO), weight reductioncaused by gastric reduction surgery improves longevity and reduces rates of premature death. Inaddition, hypertension is cured in about 50 percent of patients, while measurements of cholesteroland other blood fats show visible improvements, all leading to a reduction in the risk of heartdisease. Type 2 diabetes is cured in 80 percent of diabetic patients while hyperglycemia andassociated conditions such as hyperinsulimia and insulin resistance are even more likely to benefitfrom gastric bypass. Obstructive sleep apnea is cured in about 75 percent of patients, shortness ofbreath is relieved in 75-80 percent of cases, while asthma attacks are significantly reduced,particularly when associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Obesity surgery also relieveslow back pain and arthritis, heartburn, urinary incontinence, and lower limb venous disorders.What Are The Health Risks?Generally speaking, the health complications of bariatric surgery divide into three classes. First,during the operation itself, patients are subject to the normal health dangers of any serioussurgical procedure. Risk factors include: patient condition, the expertise of the bariatric surgeonand anesthesiologist and the quality of operating room services. Premature death occurs in about1-2.5 percent of bariatric cases. Second, there are well-documented post-operative health risks,which largely depend on the type of procedure performed.Post-Operative Health Problems of Gastric BandingRestrictive procedures like gastric-banding and stomach stapling carry a number of short-termpost-operative health risks, including: (1) Risk of hernia. About 10-20 percent of patients requireadditional surgery to fix problems like abdominal hernias caused by excessive straining aftersurgery before the incision heals. Laparoscopic surgery reduces this risk. (2) Risk of blood clots.About 1 percent of patients contract blood clots in the legs. (3) Risk of infection. On average, thereis a 5 percent risk of infection in the incision area. (4) Risk of gastric staple breakage. This occursin bariatric operations like vertical banded gastroplasty, that use staples to reduce stomach size.(5) Risk of band slippage and saline leakage. A routine complication, this occurs after lap band orother forms of adjustable gastric banding. (6) Risk of bowel obstruction. This rare complicationmay occur due to adhesions caused by scar tissue. (7) Risk of stomal stenosis and marginalulcers.Post-Operative Health Problems of Gastric BypassPost-operative health dangers of bypass procedures like roux-en-y or biliopancreatic diversioninclude: (1) Corrective operations. About 15-20 percent of bypass patients require follow-upgastrointestinal operations to correct complications (eg. hernias). These follow-up operations tendto carry higher risk of complication and death. (2) Dumping Syndrome. Caused by overeating orover-rapid eating, dumping, is not a real health danger, but symptoms (nausea, faintness,sweating and diarrhea) can be distressing. (3) Risk of nutritional deficiency. Since stomach bypasssurgery involves bypassing the duodenum and part/all of the jejunum, causing insufficientabsorption of vitamins and minerals, patients can develop deficiencies in nutrients like: iron,calcium, vitamin D and B12 deficiency. This can be easily corrected by a program of nutritionalsupplementation. (4) Risk of gallstones. About one-third of bypass patients develop gallstones. (5)Bowel Disorders. After all bypass operations, there is a period of intestinal adaptation during whichbowel movements can be liquid and frequent. Typically accompanied by bloating, gas and foul

smelling stools, this complaint may reduce with time, but occasionally becomes a permanentcondition.Bariatric Surgery is No Easy Answer To ObesityEven though surgical methods are becoming more and more successful for the reduction ofsevere obesity, it would be misleading to present surgery as an easy option. To begin with, itssuccess depends entirely on patient compliance with post-operative guidelines. And pressures toovereat do not disappear after surgery. If patients adhere to instructions, they tend to lose weightwithout regain. If they "cheat", they tend to regain most of their weight loss and may end up in aworse condition than before. Second, due to cost and availability issues, bariatric surgery can onlyever treat a tiny percentage of the population who are severely obese. Third, we lack long termfeedback on the success of these operations. For these reasons, it seems that bariatric surgery isno easy solution to our obesity epidemic.David Johnson, LLb., is the senior researcher at http://www.bariatric-surgery.info which offers arange of information about gastric banding, stomach bypass and other weight-related surgeries tomore than 2 million unique visitors per year.Bariatric SurgeryGastric BypassArticle Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Johnson==== ====Further information available herehttp://carpaltunnelcure.topmostshop.com==== ====

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Wrist Ache

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Wrist Ache Document Transcript