Bariatric Surgery

Obesity in the United States has reached an epidemic level. In the year 2000, all 50 states had obesity rates of 15 percent or more. In the same year, 35 of the 50 states reported obesity levels as high as 20 percent or greater.

Some people have tried in everyway possible to lose weight, and nothing has worked. I’m not talking about the man or woman who wants to shed a few extra pounds in order to impress the gang at the local swimming pool. I’m thinking about those unfortunate men and woman who are so overweight that their lives are at risk. These people are the ones who may need bariatric surgery (weight-loss surgery).

Various doctors have practiced different forms of bariatric surgery in the past. Often, these procedures have been highly invasive and presented dangers that only added to the risk the overweight patient experienced. Fortunately, newer, less-invasive forms of bariatric surgery are now available.

JourneyLite maintains weight-loss surgical facilities in California, Florida, and Texas. At these locations, skilled surgeons practice a new noninvasive weight-loss procedure known as Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAGB or LAP-BAND®). Using this procedure, a JourneyLite surgeon makes a small incision and places an adjustable gastric band around the upper part of the patient’s stomach. Once the band is in place, the patient eats less and no longer feels the constant hunger that leads to overeating and seriously overweight symptoms.

This procedure does not require the cutting, stapling, or rerouting of the stomach or intestines used in more primitive surgeries. LAGB is so simple that it can be performed on an out-patient basis, and the recovery period is shorter than with earlier surgical procedures. If it became necessary, the adjustable gastric band could be removed as easily as it was originally inserted.

If you are seriously overweight, ask your doctor about this new form of bariatric surgery.