Weight-loss surgeons from across the United States have banded together in a letter to U.S. House members, in which they criticize surgery centers affiliated with the 1-800-GET-THIN advertising for Lap-Band surgery, according to an LA Times report.
The surgeons emphasized the fact that not all weight-loss centers are created equal. They said patients and physicians should strive to find centers reviewed by the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and awarded the "Center of Excellence" rating.
According to the letter, none of the surgery centers affiliated with the 1-800-GET-THIN ads hold the "Center of Excellence" rating. The letter was signed by 30 physicians from California to New York. The letter also emphasized that obese patients are better served by weight-loss clinics that offer a variety of options, not just the Lap-Band.
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The surgeons emphasized the fact that not all weight-loss centers are created equal. They said patients and physicians should strive to find centers reviewed by the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and awarded the "Center of Excellence" rating.
According to the letter, none of the surgery centers affiliated with the 1-800-GET-THIN ads hold the "Center of Excellence" rating. The letter was signed by 30 physicians from California to New York. The letter also emphasized that obese patients are better served by weight-loss clinics that offer a variety of options, not just the Lap-Band.
Related Articles on GI/Endoscopy:
Researchers Find Prostate Cancer in 2,200-Year-Old Mummy
Study: Alcohol Consumption, Family History Increase Risk of Colon Cancer
Study Links Obesity and Pain