Re: Dr Ren / Insurance paying for BPD

[Guest guest]

> I think the

> insurance companies have an easier time paying for this surgery

> because it is tried and true. It is not considered experimental.

>

,

I will have to disagree strongly with this one point. In fact, the

reason that most consider the DS experimental/investigational is

because it is associated with the BPD. Trials of the BPD in the US

have been very limited and had rather poor results (Murr, Balsiger et

all). Granted they only did 11 patients.

Many of the problems with the early BPD's were from a very short

common channel (50cm) and too small a gastric volume. Scopinro has

since modified his procedure to accomidate a larger gastric volume.

The new procedure is quite viable, though ulcers still occur much

more frequently then the DS.

Every insurance company I have seen that denies the BPD/DS will also

deny the classic BPD.

The NIH reviewed the BPD in 1991 and choose not to recommend it. The

NIH has not reviewed the BPD/DS.

Hull