FOCUS TOPICS PULMONARY/ENT DECEMBER 2015 / $5
Serving a 24 County Area, Including Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery & Tuscaloosa
On Rounds Treating Physical Problems with Spiritual Solutions Danika Yvette Hickman, MD is a pro when it comes to wearing a variety of hats. Not only is she a physician, she’s a wife, mother, author, chaplain, public speaker, radio show host… and the list goes on ... page 3
Long-Awaited ORBERA™ Intragastric Balloon System Now in Alabama
Advanced Surgeons Introduces Endoscopic Procedure for Obesity by
Laura Freeman
For people fighting to lose 40 to 50 extra pounds, weight loss strategies are definitely not a one size fits all proposition. They often find themselves in the unenviable “in between” position of being too heavy to sustain their efforts long enough to reach their goal weight and settle into maintaining it—and not heavy enough to qualify for weight loss surgery—or, at least, not before a creeping scale moves even higher. Until now, there hasn’t been much available in the U.S. to help these people lose weight. However, in August the FDA approved an endoscopic procedure that has been used successfully for two decades in Europe, Australia and South America, and it is being introduced in Alabama by Scott Pennington, Jr, MD FACS and John Touliatos, MD FACS of Advanced Surgeons at Grandview Medical Center. “I’ve been watching the ORBERA intragastric balloon for (CONTINUED ON PAGE 10)
Reducing the Cost of Human Lives and Health with Smoking Cessation Programs Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease in the United States and accounts for one in every five deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Smokers are at risk for breathing problems, heart disease, as well as lung and other cancers ... page 5
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John Touliatos, MD holds a fully-inflated ORBERA ballon.
UAB to Launch Mitochondrial Medicine Program By Laura Freeman
Few things are more frustrating than finally getting a clear diagnosis of an elusive disease only to realize that treatment options are limited by a lack of tools to measure what works. For patients dealing with the effects of inherited and acquired mitochondrial mutations, that situation could begin changing early next year as UAB prepares to launch a dual clinical and research program in cooperation with the Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine and
Seahorse Bioscience. The program will combine multidisciplinary clinical resources under one roof with cutting edge research using new technologies to measure and track the bioenergetic health and function of mitochondria. Beyond the neuromuscular disorders that will be the initial focus of the program, information gleaned from this work could provide the keys to advancing research into new treatments for a broad spectrum of other conditions where mitochondrial disruptions are suspected—diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, XF technology from Seahorse Bioscience (CONTINUED ON PAGE 16)
Read Birmingham Medical News online at www.birminghammedicalnews.com
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