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Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BCBS) Weight Loss Surgery Coverage Updates!

16/05/2023 by DrCurry

New 2023 Ohio Rules for Weight Loss Medications

07/03/2023 by DrCurry

On February 8th, 2023, the State Medical Board of Ohio adopted new rules regarding weight loss medications. These new rules will significantly increase access to these critical medications for many Ohioans. As the old rules have been in place for a long time, it may take a little while for pharmacists to become accustomed to these new rules. It may be necessary for a patient to print out the new regulations and present them to the pharmacist if they are still wanting to follow the old rules.

A copy of the new regulations can be downloaded at the link below, if the need arises in such a situation.

Most significantly, a patient can now be treated for more than 3 months with Adipex (phentermine) providing that they lose at least 5% of their total body weight (e.g. 10 lbs in a patient that starts out at 200 lbs) by the end of 90 days. Also, some visits can be done via telemedicine whereas previously every visit was supposed to be live.

These new rules will greatly increase access to care for overweight patients in Ohio!

Ohio 2023 revised rules for weight loss medications

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SIPS/SADI/LDS Versus Sleeve–What’s the Difference

15/02/2023 by DrCurry

Gastric Sleeve

SIPS/SADI/LDS

The field of bariatric surgery, or weight loss surgery, is always changing. New options seem to come around frequently (and sometimes go away just as quickly). One of the most recent options that has come to the forefront, however, is based on a time-tested procedure that has been around for decades and is likely to stick around. The reason it is likely to stay is simple: it offers great weight loss, similar to the older procedure on which it is based, but it has fewer complications overall.

Gastric sleeve has been around for a while now, so if you need to review the simple anatomy of this procedure just click here. This article will focus on a newer procedure that can be thought of in some ways as a gastric sleeve/gastric bypass mash-up.

This new procedure, unfortunately, does not have a standard name. In fact, at least three different labels have been assigned to it: SIPS, SADI-S, and LDS.

SIPS: Stomach-Intestinal Pylorus Sparing procedure
SADI-Single Anastomosis Duodeno-Ileal bypass with Sleeve gastrectomy
LDS: Loop Duodenal Switch

All of these acronyms refer to the same operation. For the purposes of this article, we will use the name SADI-S. In order to understand the SADI-S, first you need to understand the original procedure on which it’s based: the duodenal switch, or DS.

Duodenal Switch

Five things are done in a traditional DS:

A loose gastric sleeve is done
The duodenum (first part of the small intestine) is divided just past the stomach
The small intestine is divided way downstream
The distal (far end) of this intestine is pulled up and re-connected to the duodenum up by the stomach
The proximal (closer end) of this divided intestine is re-connected far downstream, resulting in a very short common channel

The “common channel” is the point where the food you eat gets mixed in with the digestive enzymes coming down from your liver and pancreas. So the DS is very effective for weight loss because of this very short common channel–much shorter than in a gastric bypass, and of course much shorter than a regular gastric sleeve. Of course, in a regular sleeve the common channel is the entire length of the intestine, because none gets bypassed at all. Because of this short common channel, most studies show the DS to have better long-term weight loss results and diabetes remission than any other weight loss surgery around.

SADI-S/SIPS/LDS

Anatomy of a SADI-S procedure, also known as SIPS or LDS.

So what’s different about a SADI-S? The SADI-S takes the original DS and simplifies it a bit. In a SADI-S, the intestine is only divided one time, just past the stomach in the duodenum. The short stump of duodenum is then re-connected to the side of the small intestine, far downstream. So in a SADI-S pretty much the same thing is accomplished–separating the food from the digestive enzymes. Because the procedure is simpler, though, there are less things that can go wrong with it. Whenever a connection is made between intestine and intestine, or intestine and stomach, there is a risk that the connection could leak. This can be a serious problem, and bariatric surgeons do everything they can to avoid this complication. Since the SADI-S has only one connection that has to be made instead of two, this risk could be cut in half. If we list the steps as before, only three things have to be done:

A tighter gastric sleeve is done
The duodenum is divided just past the stomach
The duodenal stump is connected to the small intestine far downstream

Are there any disadvantages then to the SADI-S versus the old DS? Except for a lower risk of leak in a SADI-S, most studies show pretty much the same results for the two procedures. Some people worry about a problem called bile reflux after a SADI-S, but it doesn’t seem to be a huge problem. Bile reflux could occur in SADI where the duodenum is plugged into the small intestine. Bile from the liver is flowing past this connection, but in the original DS bile is kept completely away from that area.

Most bariatric surgeons are getting away from the DS and moving towards SADI-S. So then, let’s look at the pro’s and con’s of SADI-S as compared to just a gastric sleeve.

SADI-S/SIPS/LDS

Pro’s

Better weight loss
Better diabetes remission
Less GERD issues

Con’s

More complex procedure
Longer operative time
Longer recovery time
Much higher chance of serious vitamin/nutrient deficiencies
No good options for revision down the road
Yearly lab work needed for life
If you don’t take your vitamins you will get a serious vitamin deficiency!

Gastric Sleeve/VSG

Pro’s

Simpler procedure
Can be done as outpatient
Shorter operative time
Can be converted to SADI-S or RNY

Con’s

Post-op GERD rate higher
Less weight loss
Lower diabetes remission rate
Vitamin/nutrient deficiencies rare

From a surgeon’s point of view, I think it makes sense for patients with higher BMI’s to go for the SADI-S. For a patient with a BMI over 60 most surgeons would recommend SADI-S over gastric sleeve. For a patient with a BMI under 50 many would recommend sleeve over SADI-S. 50-60 BMI is a gray zone as there are some patients who can be successful with a sleeve, and avoid all those long-term SADI-S risks. In my opinion, sleeve would be my first choice but I would discuss with the patient that conversion to SADI-S down the road could be necessary.

Another issue to consider is insurance coverage. Many policies will cover the older DS, but not the new SADI-S. This will change with time, though, and more weight loss surgeons will become adept at performing this procedure. So we can expect the SADI-S to not only stick around, but also to become more and more popular with time, given its excellent weight loss results and lower complication rates.

Trace Curry M.D.

Dr. Trace Curry is the medical director of JourneyLite Physicians and JourneyLite Surgery Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. JourneyLite is a multi-specialty center that focuses on advanced outpatient laparoscopic weight loss surgery and incisionless weight loss procedures. He has done over 7000 weight loss procedures in his career and is a key opinion leader in the field of surgical and incisionless weight loss.

Pre-op EKG Requirements for JourneyLite Surgery Center

08/02/2023 by DrCurry

Prior to any surgery, all patients need some sort of pre-admission testing, or PAT’s. All patients having surgery at JourneyLite will require at the very least a recent set of basic labs.

Patients who meet certain criteria will also need an EKG. If we also request for you to see your primary care physician or cardiologist for clearance, it is best to have them do your EKG so that they can compare it to previous tracings. If we do not request clearance from any of your doctors, we will do your EKG at your pre-op/consent appointment according to the criteria below.

The guidelines for EKG are:
- Age >50
- Chronic kidney disease
- Obstructive sleep apnea (with an AHI of 15 or above and requiring a C-pap machine)
- Hypertension
- Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol)
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Current smoker or past heavy smoker

Any EKG done within the last 6 months is acceptable unless there are new symptoms, or there has been a change in the cardiac history. Then a new one would need be obtained.

For Endoscopy and Balloon patients:

If the patient is at age >50 and has a cardiologist for cardiac issues, they will need an EKG (done within previous 6 months) prior to the procedure.

If the patient is at age >50 and has no cardiologist and very few co-morbidities, they will be assessed by anesthesia on the day of the procedure. If there is a need for an EKG, it will be performed bedside at the surgery center.

New Study Finds Weight Loss Surgery Extends Lives

03/02/2023 by DrCurry

by Dr. Trace Curry, Cincinnati, Ohio

I remember when I did my first laparoscopic gastric bypass in 2003 at Wayne Hospital in Greenville, Ohio. I was a general surgeon then, and I wanted to branch out and challenge myself with more advanced procedures. Those were the very early days of laparoscopic weight loss surgery, and we were still fighting the bad rap of years of high complication rates from the same exact procedure being done with a huge 12 inch incision. Originally, I had planned on weight loss surgery being just a small part of my general surgery practice, but when I saw how these procedures totally transformed my patients’ health with just a few tiny incisions, I quickly decided to dedicate my entire practice to this exciting field. I could see a patient’s life expectancy improve right before my very eyes – in fact I once had a patient who was so obese and had such severe sleep apnea that he had to have a tracheostomy done (this was long before Thousand Pound Sisters). When he came in for his 1 year post op check after his gastric bypass procedure, he proudly rode his bike right into my office, his trach tube long removed!

As a weight loss surgeon, the fact that weight loss surgery increases life expectancy is something that has been plainly obvious to me for the last 20 years. Now, however, we have new data from a study spanning 40 years and including nearly 22,000 people that confirms this as fact!

These results were just published last Wednesday in the journal Obesity. It was a retrospective study out of Utah, meaning the researchers looked back at data from patients over past years. They looked at patients with and without weight loss surgery and matched patients for things such as age, sex, and BMI so they were comparing apples to apples. There were 21,837 matched surgery and non-surgery pairs and the follow up was up to a very impressive 40 years. This study is important not only because of the large number of patients including such a large time span, but also because it involves data on American patients which may be more applicable to patients in my practice than if the data were taken from, say patients in Sweden or Africa.

Four procedures were examined (listed from most common to least common):

gastric bypass
gastric sleeve
gastric band
duodenal switch

The researchers found that patients who underwent one of these procedures were 16% less likely to die from any cause, 29% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, 43% less likely to die from various cancers, and incredibly–72% less likely to die from diabetes!

There have been other large studies that support the data seen here, so I feel like it’s about time to shout it from the rooftops! In the U.S., it’s estimated that only 2% of patients who qualify actually end up having weight loss surgery. Some of this is related to lack of insurance coverage, and some to patients’ reluctance to seek out weight loss surgery. Many patients are not even aware that, when they choose an insurance plan, it may exclude access to a surgical weight loss procedure which they qualify for medically. Not because they don’t need it, but because language is written into their policy that says it’s not going to be covered, no matter how badly they need it.

Regardless of the reason, considering modern techniques, the complication rate for bariatric surgery procedures such as gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, Lap Band, and duodenal switch are miniscule compared to what they used to be 30 years ago. This, given with the data we see from this study and others, should compel more insurance companies to provide coverage for these life-saving procedures and more patients to consider taking this step to be rid of the disease of obesity.

Trace Curry M.D.

Gastric Sleeve

Gastric Bypass

SIPS

Lap Band

Office Follow-up Schedule After Weight Loss Surgery

17/01/2023 by DrCurry

JourneyLite Physicians Post-Surgical Follow-Up Protocol

JourneyLite is committed to patient success. As a best practice, JourneyLite Physicians follows the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) follow up protocol, and exceeds the MBSAQIP standards to ensure the highest quality care and long-term success for our patients. First year follow up consists of 10 Registered Dietitian Visits and 6 Provider Visits.

Attending all appointments greatly increases your long-term success rate!

First Year Follow-Up Schedule

Number of days post-op	7	31	60	90	120	150	180	210	240	270	300	330	360
Registered Dietitian Visit	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔		✔	✔		✔	✔
Provider Visit	✔	✔		✔			✔			✔			✔

Patients should be seen for annual follow-up visits for optimal success after year one.

Bariatric Follow-Up Appointment Request

Your Name*
First Last
Your Email*
Enter Email Confirm Email
Date of Birth*
MM slash DD slash YYYY
Phone*
Preferred Location(s)*
Preferred day of the week:
Preferred time of day:
Have you had a change of address since last visit?*
- No
- Yes
Please enter your new address.
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country
Procedure history (select one)*
Are you interested in a medical weight loss program to get back on track or enhance your results?
- No
- Yes
Comments
Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Pre-op Weight Loss

23/09/2022 by DrCurry

Pre-op weight loss can be essential to reducing the risk of bariatric surgery. Therefore we set some goals for most patients at your initial consultation. These goals are higher in patients with a higher body mass index.

Below you can see our typical pre-op weight loss goals to see where you will likely fall. However in some cases there will be custom goals that are set that can differ from these guidelines.

BMI 30-45	Primary Weight Loss Goal Maintain initial consult weight until pre-op/consent visit.	Secondary/Pre-op Diet Weight Loss Goal Lose some weight.
45.1-50	Lose 5 pounds from initial consult weight to pre-op/consent visit. Appetite suppressant optional.	Lose 5% of TBW from initial consult weight to surgery. Appetite suppressant optional.
50.1-55	Lose 10 pounds from initial consult weight to pre-op/consent visit. Appetite suppressant recommended.	Lose 8% of TBW from initial consult weight to surgery. Appetite suppressant recommended.
55.1-60	Lose 5% of TBW from initial consult weight prior to scheduling a surgery date. Appetite suppressant recommended.	Male: Lose 10% of TBW from initial consult weight to surgery or achieve a BMI of 55, whichever is the lower weight. Female: Lose 10% of TBW from initial consult weight to surgery. Appetite suppressant recommended.
60.1-65	Lose 5% of TBW from initial consult weight prior to scheduling a surgery date. Appetite suppressant recommended.	Male: Lose 10% of TBW from initial consult weight to surgery, or achieve a BMI of 55 to qualify for surgery at JourneyLite. Female: Lose 10% of TBW from initial consult weight to surgery or achieve a BMI of 55, whichever is lower weight. Appetite suppressant recommended.
65.1+	Lose 10% of TBW from initial consult weight prior to scheduling a surgery date. Appetite suppressant recommended.	Custom goal will be set. Appetite suppressant recommended.

TBW = total body weight

5% of TBW: For example, in a 200 lb patient, 5% of 200 lb = 10 lbs

10% of TBW: For example, in a 300 lb patient, 10% of 300 = 30 lbs

JourneyLite and Transcarent, Inc Partner to Provide Lower Cost Weight Loss Surgery

13/09/2022 by DrCurry

JourneyLite Surgery Center is pleased to announce that, effective October 1, 2022, we will be the regional provider for bariatric surgery services for Transcarent, Inc.

Transcarent describes their organization as “a health care experience company that makes it easy to get the high-quality, affordable health and care that everyone deserves. Transcarent puts consumers back in charge by directly connecting them with an integrated ecosystem of high-value providers and health solutions, transparent information, and trusted guidance in as little as 60 seconds, 24/7/365, from the palm of their hand, often at no cost to Members and at a lower cost to their employer.”

Transcarent and other companies facilitate “Employer Directed Healthcare” programs. This helps large employers reduce healthcare costs for both the company and its employees by contracting with specialty facilities in various medical fields. These facilities often focus on one particular area, such as weight loss or orthopedic surgery, and tend to have higher case volumes and lower complication rates.

Several major regional employers in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana have chosen the Transcarent network to increase quality of care and access in the field of bariatric surgery. These include:

The Transcarent network of providers will greatly increase access to care for much-needed weight loss surgery services, with lower (or no) out-of-pocket costs.

JourneyLite will continue to seek out new employer-directed health networks to continue to lower the significant barrier that patients frequently face when seeking out life-saving bariatric surgery.

Crushing Medications After Weight Loss Surgery-Should I or Shouldn’t I?

06/07/2022 by DrCurry

As a rule we recommend against crushing medications after weight loss surgery. There are some larger pills, however, that can be difficult to get down in the early days when there is still some swelling present. There are many medications, however, that should NOT be crushed under any circumstances. Generally speaking, these are extended release medications that have a special coating to cause the drug to be released slowly over a period of time. Probably the most common medication like this is Prilosec. If you crush it, the coating is destroyed and the medication will be absorbed all at once. In the case of Prilosec, this would likely cause little harm, however this is not the case with all medications and in some instances life-threatening side effects could occur.

We always recommend checking with your pharmacist, however you can also refer to this fairly comprehensive list of medications that should not be crushed under any circumstance!

Do Not Crush These Meds!

Incisional Pain After Gastric Bypass Surgery

29/03/2022 by DrCurry

pain

Pain after surgery is expected, particularly with the gastric bypass. This is a bigger, more involved surgery than the sleeve! Setting realistic expectations after surgery is important–you should expect to have some pain after surgery.

We always inject local anesthetic in each incision, however the effect of this is only temporary. This can make it seem like your pain is getting worse, but it’s actually just the numbing medicine wearing off.

Most of the discomfort in the gastric bypass there is one incision on the far left side of your abdomen. This will commonly cause complaints such as: sharp or intense pain, dull cramping pain, burning, tugging, and pulling sensations. These are sometimes worsened by movements, or certain positions and the pain is not always felt directly underneath this incision. These types of symptoms are normal and expected after bypass surgery.

This incision is necessary in order to safely complete the surgery. Because of the size and depth of this incision, a suture is placed through the deep muscle layers to help prevent a hernia. This suture is almost always the cause of the symptoms described above. This pain will commonly last for 3-6 weeks and perhaps longer in some situations.

We always do our best to minimize the discomfort associated with this incision, but we cannot completely eliminate this pain all together. Patients will be prescribed a narcotic pain medication, a muscle relaxer, and a pill which helps with neuropathic (nerve) pain. In addition to the medications, we recommend using ice packs over the incisions, 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off several times per day. This will help with the inflammation. After 2-3 days you may get better relief with a heating pad as the pain becomes more muscular in nature.

This same far left incision can also be prone to infection, as at the end of the procedure we pull a little piece of small intestine out through it. This can sometimes contain bacteria which can lead to infection, despite the fact that we place it in a sterile pouch before pulling it out. Some of the first signs of infection are: fever, swelling at the incision site, redness around the incision, or drainage at the incision )particularly yellow thick foul smelling drainage). Occasionally a clear or pale-red drainage will be present–this does not necessarily mean there is an infection. If you have concerns with your incisions, please contact us to have your incisions evaluated by our staff!

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Appointment Request

We do not offer surgical revisions for this procedure due to increased risk and poor long-term results. Medication treatment options are available, however. Please change "Appointment Interest" above to "Medical Weight Loss" if you are interested in proceeding!

Your BMI is too low for initiation of treatment with weight loss medications. Ohio requires a BMI over 27.

Your BMI is too low for initiation of treatment with weight loss medications. Kentucky requires a BMI over 25, and Ohio requires a BMI over 27.

Your BMI is too low for initiation of treatment with weight loss medications. Ohio requires a BMI over 30, or a BMI of 27-30 with weight-related medical conditions.

Your BMI is too low for initiation of treatment with weight loss medications. Kentucky requires a BMI over 27, or a BMI of 25-27 with weight-related medical conditions.

We require a minimum medication-free break of 3 months before re-starting treatment.

Patients who are pregnancy or nursing are not candidates for weight loss medications.

According to the State Medical Boards of Ohio and Kentucky, patients with a current (or past) history of any type of substance abuse disorder are not eligible for weight loss medications.

You may not be eligible for weight loss medications based on your medical history. Your information will be reviewed and a team member will be in contact with you.

You may not be eligible for weight loss medications based on your current medications. Your information will be reviewed and a team member will be in contact with you.

Please click here to watch the online infosession before requesting an appointment!

Appointment Request

We do not offer surgical revisions for this procedure due to increased risk and poor long-term results. Medication treatment options are available, however. Please change "Appointment Interest" above to "Medical Weight Loss" if you are interested in proceeding!

Your BMI is too low for initiation of treatment with weight loss medications. Ohio requires a BMI over 27.

Your BMI is too low for initiation of treatment with weight loss medications. Kentucky requires a BMI over 25, and Ohio requires a BMI over 27.

Your BMI is too low for initiation of treatment with weight loss medications. Ohio requires a BMI over 30, or a BMI of 27-30 with weight-related medical conditions.

Your BMI is too low for initiation of treatment with weight loss medications. Kentucky requires a BMI over 27, or a BMI of 25-27 with weight-related medical conditions.

We require a minimum medication-free break of 3 months before re-starting treatment.

Patients who are pregnancy or nursing are not candidates for weight loss medications.

According to the State Medical Boards of Ohio and Kentucky, patients with a current (or past) history of any type of substance abuse disorder are not eligible for weight loss medications.

You may not be eligible for weight loss medications based on your medical history. Your information will be reviewed and a team member will be in contact with you.

You may not be eligible for weight loss medications based on your current medications. Your information will be reviewed and a team member will be in contact with you.

Please click here to watch the online infosession before requesting an appointment!

Gastric Sleeve

SIPS/SADI/LDS

Duodenal Switch

SADI-S/SIPS/LDS

As a weight loss surgeon, the fact that weight loss surgery increases life expectancy is something that has been plainly obvious to me for the last 20 years. Now, however, we have new data from a study spanning 40 years and including nearly 22,000 people that confirms this as fact!

Gastric Sleeve

Gastric Bypass

SIPS

Lap Band

Bariatric Follow-Up Appointment Request

Do Not Crush These Meds!