Safety and Efficacy of Bariatric Surgery To Be Discussed at the 13th Annual Congress on Women's Health, June 4-7, 2005 on Hilton Head Island, SC.

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- Bariatric surgery is the current treatment of choice for morbid obesity--the procedures are relatively safe; they can reduce or reverse the comorbidities of morbid obesity such as diabetes, hypertension, and weight-bearing osteoarthritis; improve quality of life; increase life expectancy; and are cost effective. Every clinician needs to be familiar with bariatric surgery and to understand which patients are good candidates for this procedure and which are not, according to speaker Henry Buchwald, M.D., Ph.D., University of Minnesota.

This year's Congress, held at the Hilton Head Marriott Beach & Golf Resort, has a special focus on state-of-the-art cardiovascular health including diagnosis, intervention, and management. Other timely sessions will include chronic stress in women, evidence-based natural medicine, sexual function, arthritis management; and much more.

The Congress is being Chaired by Susan Kornstein, M.D., Executive Director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Institute for Women's Health, a DHHS National Center of Excellence, Richmond, Virginia and Co-Chaired by Gail Stuart, Ph.D., APRN, BC, FAAN, Dean, College of Nursing, Medical College of South Carolina, Charleston. The full program is available at www.bioconferences.com/wh.

The Congress is sponsored by University of South Florida College of Medicine and Journal of Women's Health, in partnership with the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Program. Collaborating Organizations include the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Organization, American Chronic Pain Association, American Heart Association, American Menopause Foundation, Inc., The Arthritis Foundation, National Osteoporosis Foundation, National Sleep Foundation, National Stroke Association, National Women's Health Resource Center, and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.

The Congress is supported by Medtronic, Inc., Procter & Gamble, Daiichi Fine Chemicals, Inc., and Teva Neuroscience. MORE Magazine is the media supporter.

The Congress offers 15 category 1 hours of Continuing Medical Education credits, 18 hours of Continuing Nursing Education credits, and 15 hours of Continuing Pharmacy Education sponsored by the University of South Florida.

For further information about the Congress and the Program, visit our website at www.bioconferences.com/wh, call 914 740-2100, ext. 2182, 800-5-BIOCON, or e-mail [e-mail].