VAF Forums

VAF Forums (https://vansairforce.net/community/index.php)
-   Safety (https://vansairforce.net/community/forumdisplay.php?f=100)
-   -   BMI & OSA: New Hurdles To Jump Thru For Medical Certification (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=106736)

BillSchlatterer 11-29-2013 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brantel (Post 830489)
Hmm...not sure the sleep medicine community would agree with that.

My sleep doctor specifically called this out as being a big misconception.

Most modern info on the subject claim all kinds of health conditions that can be a result of untreated OSA.

Make no mistake about it....Untreated OSA is bad stuff...

You're right of course but the message was just that OSA is "generally" caused/made worse by other health factors usually ( but not always) related to excess weight (similar to adult diabetes). It's a link in the chain of health issues each building upon the other. Most FAA Standard folks don't just wake up with OSA, its caused by one thing and then it becomes causal for the next link which is usually worse. If you just break the excess weight link, you don't eliminate the odds for OSA or adult diabetes but you sure improve them a lot!

Lucky us that we had the wake up call and it wasn't a stroke or worse. We're splitting hairs .... You said it 100% right .... Untreated OSA is just bad stuff !

All done ... And all said from experience with no medical expertise at all!

ifixf15 11-30-2013 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by N395V (Post 830365)
You understood perfectly well.

Milt, my comments were out of line and I sincerely and publicly wish to apologize for them. I am sure we are on the same side on this issue. One minor point of correction. It was 26 years and I must admit that 95% of it was a blast. The only way it could have been better is if I could have flown them more than the one ride that I got. Once again, please accept my apology.

Semper Fi

Tom

yak53 11-30-2013 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brantel (Post 827536)
Here is a good graphic that represents what some major well known and trusted organizations are now preaching when it comes to obesity and its treatment for long term success....



Look at who made that pyramid diagram Ethicon Endo-Surgery, (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, is a company that designs and manufactures medical devices and surgical instruments with the intent of minimizing the invasiveness of surgery.) They sell the very expensive surgical stapling systems that enable bariatric surgery to be done quickly and endoscopically (minimally invasive surgery ( keyhole surgery)). Therefore they have a financial incentive to promote bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery is not without risks, while newer techniques which include using the products made by Ethicon and other companies have made bariatric surgery safer than before, but it still is major surgery with significant risk mortality and morbidity.

Having worked with patients before and after bariatric surgery, I think the choice to have surgery should be undertaken only when all other non surgical options have failed. Unfortunately too many patients do not make a serious attempt to loose weight with diet and exercise, and they lack the proper support to ensure success with diet and exercise, before choosing weight loss surgery.

The middle step pharmacotherapy is another problem area there are few good drug choices for promoting weight loss. The drugs with the best chance of working are the very addictive, amphetamines.

Brantel 11-30-2013 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yak53 (Post 830705)
Look at who made that pyramid diagram Ethicon Endo-Surgery, (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, is a company that designs and manufactures medical devices and surgical instruments with the intent of minimizing the invasiveness of surgery.) They sell the very expensive surgical stapling systems that enable bariatric surgery to be done quickly and endoscopically (minimally invasive surgery ( keyhole surgery)). Therefore they have a financial incentive to promote bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery is not without risks, while newer techniques which include using the products made by Ethicon and other companies have made bariatric surgery safer than before, but it still is major surgery with significant risk mortality and morbidity.

Having worked with patients before and after bariatric surgery, I think the choice to have surgery should be undertaken only when all other non surgical options have failed. Unfortunately too many patients do not make a serious attempt to loose weight with diet and exercise, and they lack the proper support to ensure success with diet and exercise, before choosing weight loss surgery.

This pyramid is almost universally used by those that specialize in weight related issues both surgical and non surgical. I just pulled the first graphic I saw on Google.

With all surgery comes risk. Many common and what people call everyday surgeries also carry a significant risk for mortality and morbidity. Many even more so than bariatric options. What are the risk associated with morbid obesity?

Obesity is an epidemic in the USA. Just look around. I would argue that in more cases than not, this epidemic is fueled by the old school advice that is handed out by the average PCP and NUT.

Anyway... time to close this thread. We are not here to treat obesity. There are millions of forums for that.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:55 AM.