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Local surgical weight loss clinic joins national push on diabetes management

Sydney: Monday 30th June 2008

The weight loss surgery clinic at the St John of God Hospital in Subiaco is now one of the select clinics to be part of the Australian Institute of Weight Control* (AIWC). Clinics involved in this network offer a proven approach to weight loss using the “Circle of Care” program that has been shown to resolve Type 2 diabetes symptoms, reduce cardiovascular risk and help patient lose significant excess weight.

Recent national media coverage has focused on the prospect of weight loss surgery being used more extensively as a tactic for dealing with the enormous challenges posed by the growing Australian diabetes epidemic

Professor Jeff Hamdorf who is a Professor of Medical Education at the University of Western Australia says that by joining a broader national network, contributing to an active research program and focusing on the team or “multidisciplinary” approach to weight loss, the Perth clinic will help many more of its patients manage their diabetes better in the future.

“It’s a very exciting development for the clinic because it helps to underpin our focus on quality clinical services at a time when weight loss surgery is very much in the spot light,” said Professor Hamdorf.

Recent data presented at a medical conference by the Australian Institute of Weight Control followed a group of 682 gastric band patients of which 78 had type 2 diabetes, 64 had impaired glucose intolerance and 100 had metabolic syndrome at the time of their procedure.

As an example of the effectiveness of weight loss surgery, three quarters of the patients with diabetes who took insulin had either stopped or reduced their medication after surgery.

“It may make other medical specialists feel uncomfortable, but the focus is now very much on how weight loss surgery can help resolve diabetes. The reality is that we see these benefits with our patients all the time,” said Professor Hamdorf.

Issued on behalf of the Australian Institute of Weight Control Surgery (AIWC). For interviews with surgeons or media enquiries contact Martin Palin (0418 419 258) at Palin Communications, 02 9420 1387.

* The Australian Institute of Weight Control has provides multidisciplinary weight loss services under the “Circle of Care” banner. The network has conducted over 7,000 surgical obesity interventions over the last 10 years in clinics located at Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and the Gold Coast. It has published the results of its world class outcomes for patients in many peer reviewed articles and presented the data at a range of national and international surgical conferences.