Medical Blog March Archive

Brain Surgery for Weight Loss

03/27/09 00:35

I have heard a lot of weight-loss-related surgeries, such as liposuction, or stomach bypass. However, this type of surgery is just one kind. It does not address issues such as the urge of a person to eat and eat.

However, a "new frontier of medicine" is rising, and that is brain surgery for weight loss. The surgery, called deep brain stimulation, involves the introduction of electricity to tweak certain brain functions, such as the sense of fullness and satisfaction.

Link: ABC News: 'A Frontier of Medicine': Brain Surgery for Weight Loss

Tags: brain surgery • obesity •
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Merck continues purchase of Schering-Plough

Merck & Co. announced earlier this month that it will go on with its purchase of fellow drugmaker Schering-Plough at $41.1 billion. This deal will enable Merck & Co. to acquire at least two powerful products in the future and the ability to produce powerful anti-cancer drugs.

This is the first mega-merger in Merck's history with the combined workforces of both companies counting to 15,000.

Link: Merger mania continues with Merck-Schering deal - NJ.com

Government to guide patients, doctors, in choosing most effective medicine/treatment

What is the best treatment for your disease? Well, your doctor may give his/her own opinion about the matter, but the fact is that there's no conclusive evidence to prove such point other than anecdotal evidence.

Now, the government will be putting a $1.1 billion downpayment to start solving the problem. This is part of the economic stimulus money and will be used to determine the best medicines and treatments for specifid conditions.

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