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Helping Severely Obese Patients Lose Weight

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Lap-Band Procedure
Helping Severely Obese Patients Lose Weight
Guillermo Ponce de Leon, M.D., General Surgeon

Losing weight can be a challenge for almost anyone. While diet and exercise are enough for most people to shed some unwanted pounds, for the
9 million American adults classified as morbidly obese, eating right and working out may not be enough.

A person considered morbidly obese has a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more — or they are about 100 pounds or more over their ideal weight. Guillermo Ponce de Leon, M.D., a general surgeon on staff at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, says, "When no other diet or exercise plan effectively helps them lose weight, there is an alternative that may help — a minimally invasive surgical procedure known as laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (Lap-Band)."

An Adjustable and Reversible Option
The Lap-Band procedure is a less-invasive treatment than the popular gastric bypass surgery. According to Dr. Ponce de Leon, no part of the stomach or the small intestine is cut or sewn with Lap-Band surgery. "The Lap-Band is more like a belt that is placed around the top of the stomach through a laparoscopic surgical technique," explains Dr. Ponce de Leon. "Four or five small incisions are required in the abdomen. The Lap-Band then creates an adjustable narrowing at the top of the stomach where the band sits."

The part of the stomach that is above the band becomes stretched by solid food when the person eats, providing a sense of fullness. Food slowly empties out of the small pouch into the larger stomach and then the intestine where it is digested and absorbed.

Depending on the patient's particular needs, the Lap-Band can be adjusted to restrict or increase the speed in which food can move through the stomach. The device is connected to a port that is sewn to the front of the abdominal muscles during the laparoscopic procedure. Doctors can access the port during an office visit by inserting a needle through the skin to add or remove saline, making the Lap-Band tighter or looser.

Another benefit to patients is that the procedure is reversible. If the band needs to be removed, the stomach generally returns to its original form.

Healthy Habits Help Promote Success
A healthy diet and regular exercise are key components to weight loss following the Lap-Band surgery. Dr. Ponce de Leon says it can take two to three years for patients to reach their desired weight. "People who go through a Lap-Band procedure also need to follow a healthy lifestyle," he says. "Losing weight through a combination of the Lap-Band, a proper diet and exercise does make a tremendous difference for patients in their daily activities and helping them to build healthful lives."