Welcome to the blog. This site has long hosted the archive of the LABS study participant website; from today it also publishes current coverage of bariatric (weight-loss) surgery — news, new research, and plain-language explainers.
What we will cover
- Procedures. Gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, adjustable gastric banding and newer options — how they work, who they are for, and what major medical centers and professional societies say about them.
- Long-term outcomes. The LABS study followed patients for years after surgery, and the research community keeps publishing follow-up analyses. When a meaningful paper or dataset appears, we will summarize it without jargon.
- Insurance, cost and access. Coverage rules change; we will track what insurers, Medicare and Medicaid do that affects patients.
- Life after surgery. Nutrition, follow-up care, and what day-to-day recovery actually looks like, based on clinical guidance rather than anecdote.
How we source articles
Every article ends with a Sources section linking to the primary material — peer-reviewed journals, NIH/NIDDK publications, and professional societies such as the ASMBS. We do not publish medical advice, and we do not summarize studies we could not read or verify.
This site is an independent informational resource and is not affiliated with the NIH, NIDDK, or the LABS research group. Always discuss personal medical decisions with your own physician.