Gastric Band Options
Posted: Jun 15 in Gastric Band Surgery by Staff
If you are obese or have a lot of weight to lose, weight loss surgery coupled with lifestyle changes can help jump-start your weight loss program. Individuals who undergo weight loss surgery typically lose between 25 to 35 percent of their total body weight. With a healthy diet and regular exercise, this weight loss can be maintained for over a decade, if not longer.
Like lap-band surgery, REALIZE is a gastric band that has been successfully used in weight loss patients for over twenty years. In a three year clinical trial, REALIZE patients lost 40 percent of their weight the first year, for a total loss of 43 percent of their weight within three years—outperforming other bariatric surgery results. Following surgery, patients’ body mass index (BMI) dropped from an average of 44 to 36 percent.
REALIZE bariatric surgery includes the REALIZE mySuccess Program, a free web-based clinical support tool that helps patients stay on track for achieving their weight loss goals. After you recover from surgery and can resume eating regular foods, it is important that you practice portion control, take smaller bites, thoroughly chew food and make healthy food choices. The REALIZE mySuccess Program helps patients make these dietary changes, while providing tips and support so patients can stay motivated and on track. This is the only bariatric surgery that includes a complimentary, online support program.
Weight loss surgery, as any surgery, involves significant risks. Possible complications of any bariatric surgery include abdominal hernia, chest pain, collapsed lung, constipation, diarrhea, dehydration, enlarged heart, gallstones, gastrointestinal inflammation, stretching of the stomach, vomiting and nausea. Like any abdominal surgery, the REALIZE surgery option is associated with a risk of bleeding, pain, shoulder pain, pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis, injury to stomach or surrounding organs, infection, pulmonary embolism, stroke, heart attack and death.
The REALIZE band is not right for everyone. If you are obese and have struggled to lose weight, talk to your doctor about your weight loss options. Only your doctor and a medical weight loss team can determine if a gastric banding option is right for you.