60 Minutes TONIGHT - Page 2 - ThinnerTimes

ladytonya · 04-20-2008, 07:29 PM

Bummer! I just saw this. I'll have to check out the CBS news site. They often post the individual stories from 60 Minutes on there. If I would have seen this earlier, I would have so been on top of the DVR!

RebeccaNV · 04-20-2008, 07:59 PM

I found it to be very informative. They had a panel of 8 ppl who had all had GB surgery. One was a dr. who has lost over 100 lbs in three months. He said that he no longer views the surgery as a "last option" for his overweight patients.

They spoke with a surgeon (I can't remember his name or where he practices) but he said that the death rate is only one in a thousand and that is less than many surgeries including gallbladder surgery.

All the members of the panal had been on medication for diabetes before their surgeries and now all of them are off of their diabetic meds. I think that they said that 80% of diabetics go into a remission. One surgeon has done tests on mice and this has shown that when the top of the small intestine is cut off the bottom of the stomach, the diabetes goes into instant remission. He has gone so far as reattaching the intestine and the diabetes comes back (in mice).

It was said that only 1% of people who are eligible to have WLS have it done. The National guidelines for WLS were written 17 yrs ago but are now being reviewed in light of the findings about diabetes and how the surgery can also cut cancer rates.

I hope my doctor was watching this!

KarenInKali · 04-20-2008, 08:23 PM

I saw too late that it was on TV, but the entire 13:30 minute episode can be viewed from the cbsnews.com website. Click on 60 minutes and you can click on the segment. It was very interesting - my hubby sat here and watched with me too. Surprised to hear that the mortality rate from gallbladder surgery is higher than RNY. That really goes to show the advancements with this surgery over the past few years.

KarenInKali · 04-20-2008, 08:26 PM

Here's a link to the segment from the cbsnews.com website:

CBS News Video - Top Stories and Video News Clips at CBSNews.com

mistymee · 04-20-2008, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RebeccaNV

All the members of the panal had been on medication for diabetes before their surgeries and now all of them are off of their diabetic meds. I think that they said that 80% of diabetics go into a remission. One surgeon has done tests on mice and this has shown that when the top of the small intestine is cut off the bottom of the stomach, the diabetes goes into instant remission. He has gone so far as reattaching the intestine and the diabetes comes back (in mice).

It sucks to be part of that other 20%, but I guess instead of asking "why me", I should ask "why not me?" *sigh*... off to give myself my shot before bed.

RebeccaNV · 04-20-2008, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistymee

It sucks to be part of that other 20%, but I guess instead of asking "why me", I should ask "why not me?" *sigh*... off to give myself my shot before bed.

Well I thought about you Kel when they said that. One guy did say that he wasn't off of his diabetic meds until a week and a half after the surgery...so keep you chin up. I am skeptical also about this surgery putting my diabetes into remission. That is, if my doctor will approve the surgery.

Pineapple8326 · 04-20-2008, 10:10 PM

Thanks for the reminder of this episode, I used to watch 60 minutes religously and just recently stopped for whatever reason.

Anyway, the success rate of 95% of the patients able to keep the weight off definitely had me a lot more optomistic now that I'm going in for this procedure. My biggest fear is gaining all this weight back after surgery.

Another thing that really made me more sure of my decision was the fact that it seems to cure Diabetes II, which I'm struggling with now. The way it puts diabetes in remission almost immediately after they seperate the intestines is absolutely AMAZING~!

Persephone · 04-21-2008, 06:19 AM

I caught this last night.

It was very informative and I did not feel it was slanted as the "easy way out"

I believe it portrayed WLS is a positive light. I was smiling for the entire segment.

'thann · 04-21-2008, 07:51 AM

THANK YOU for posting this. I will include this link in the email I will send my family after I'm home from the hospital. Except for my husband, son, my son's girlfriend, and my music director, no one knows I'm having the surgery. When I make the announcement "after the fact," I think this news segment will ease a lot of minds.

'thann (8 days until my new life begins!)

Deirdrea · 04-21-2008, 11:16 AM

I didn't have diabetes prior to surgery but there are quite a few in my support group who did. Most of them have after time gone off of their meds. Some it took several months. I think in the place that I go to they look for about 90% of patients coming completely off of meds all together and the other 10% still having meds but being on much lower doses or being able to come off of injections and switching to an oral pill instead.