Medi watch

Staple surgeons in short supply

Rising obesity among Asians has resulted in growing demand for bariatric procedures such as stomach-stapling - and a major shortage of qualified surgeons. Asia Pacific Bariatric Surgical Society president Lee Wei-Jei told an obesity conference in Kuala Lumpur there were only about 30 bariatric surgeons in the region, compared with about 1,200 in the US. More than 1,300 operations were conducted between 2005 and last year, AFP reports - and demand is expected to rise significantly in the next two years.

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