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LAP-BAND® System Surgery — Helping Our Dallas, Lewisville, and Plano Patients

Virtually all of our obese patients initially try to conquer their weight problem through dieting, "miracle" weight loss programs and products, and other means before making the decision to have LAP-BAND® System surgery. Our Dallas, Lewisville, and Plano patients often express their frustration and disappointment in being unable to achieve or maintain weight loss using traditional and not-so-traditional means. We understand our patients' feelings, and we know why they have been unsuccessful. Numerous studies have shown that diets and weight-loss aids rarely succeed in helping people achieve the desired result of long-lasting weight reduction. Patients turn to Dr. Frank Veninga because they know that he can help them accomplish and maintain significant weight loss with LAP-BAND® System surgery. The advanced Allergan LAP-BAND® System can help almost any morbidly obese individual to improve health, lessen the risk of diabetes and other diseases, and greatly enhance quality of life through permanent weight loss.

• The Allergan LAP-BAND® System
• LAP-BAND® System Surgery Candidacy
• Before LAP-BAND® System Surgery
• Laparoscopic LAP-BAND® System Surgery
• After LAP-BAND® System Surgery
• How Much Weight Can You Lose with LAP-BAND® System Surgery?
• LAP-BAND® System Surgery Risks

The Allergan LAP-BAND® System

The Allergan LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band and LAP-BAND® System surgery techniques were developed in partnership with leading bariatric surgeons around the world. The word LAP-BAND is a derivation of "lap" from laparoscopic surgery and "band" from gastric band. The Allergan LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band is a silicone elastomer ring that can be filled with saline solution through an access port to constrict the ring's inner circumference. The band is placed around the upper part of the stomach to isolate a short region of the stomach. When appropriately adjusted, it requires a person to chew his or her food much more thoroughly, and should increase the rate of becoming "full" as well. An outstanding feature of the Allergan LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band is that the diameter of the band outlet is adjustable to meet patients' individual needs as they lose weight. The LAP-BAND® System offers several distinct advantages over gastric bypass surgery, including:

• The procedure is essentially reversible.
• No stapling or cutting of the small bowel or stomach is necessary.
• Hospital stay is reduced; usually the patient can return home the day of the surgery.
• Post-surgery discomfort is typically limited to soreness at the incision sites; pain medication prescribed by Dr. Veninga can alleviate this.
• The LAP-BAND® System surgery procedure is considered to be the least traumatic of all operations for severe obesity.

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LAP-BAND® System Surgery Candidacy

LAP-BAND® System surgery is reserved for our patients in Dallas, Lewisville, and Plano who are morbidly obese and have been unable to sustain weight loss by other means. Dr. Veninga thoroughly evaluates every patient and only performs LAP-BAND® System surgery on patients who meet the physical and psychological criteria for the surgery. To meet the requirements for eligibility, you must:

• Be 18 years old or above
• Be willing to make significant changes in your eating habits and lifestyle
• Have not abused alcohol or drugs in the past one to two years
• Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 40
• Have a BMI of 35 to 40, with at least one of the five co-morbid conditions:

• type 2 diabetes
• high blood pressure
• dyslipidemia – elevated levels of blood lipids that are a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
• obstructive sleep apnea or the hypoventilation syndrome
• significant arthritis of weight-bearing joints

If you believe you meet the above criteria for LAP-BAND® System Surgery and you are ready to make the commitment to changing your life for the better, contact North Texas Bariatric today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Frank Veninga.

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Before LAP-BAND® System Surgery

In the weeks prior to undergoing LAP-BAND® System surgery, you will be asked to submit a complete medical history. Dr. Veninga will interview you and request a psychological evaluation to help determine if you will be able to make the significant lifestyle changes necessary to successfully maintain long-term weight loss. Consultations with your personal physicians or cardiologists, pulmonologists, or other specialists, as well as specialized tests, may be requested. About one week before your LAP-BAND® System surgery, you will undergo tests that include blood tests, a chest X-ray, EKG, and any other tests that Dr. Veninga feels are necessary. We'll tell you where and at what time to report on your day of surgery. We request that you arrive two hours before your scheduled surgery time so that we can prepare you for the procedure, and so that you have some time to relax.

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Laparoscopic LAP-BAND® System Surgery

Dr. Veninga performs LAP-BAND® System Surgery laparoscopically by making five ¼" to ½" incisions to the abdomen. Through these incisions he inserts the necessary surgical instruments and a laparoscope, a tiny camera that allows him to see the body's inner structures on a high resolution monitor. In LAP-BAND® System surgery, Dr. Veninga uses the laparoscope and delicate instruments to place the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band around the upper portion of the stomach.

Once the band is in place, the circumference of the band is adjusted by adding saline solution. This creates a small region at the top of the stomach that will limit the rate of food that can be eaten at any one time. Receptors at the top of stomach signal the brain and cause the patient to feel full quickly with a smaller amount of food. Dr. Veninga typically performs LAP-BAND® System surgery as an outpatient procedure. Perhaps surprisingly, the surgery generally takes an hour to complete. After your LAP-BAND® System procedure is complete, we'll monitor you for a time in the recovery room. After that, a companion can drive you home.

To provide a clearer understanding of LAP-BAND® System surgery for Dallas, Lewisville, and Plano residents, we have provided three video clips:

• Laparoscopic placement of the Allergan LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band
• The functioning LAP-BAND® System
• Filling the Allergan LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band

If these files do not automatically play, you can download a free Media Player to view them.

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After LAP-BAND® System Surgery

For the first two weeks after your LAP-BAND® System Surgery, you will be on a high protein liquid diet so that your stomach and your body can become accustomed to the smaller capacity of your stomach. In the subsequent two to four weeks, you will be able to eat finely chopped foods that you prepare with a food processor or knife. Once this diced-food phase is complete, you can begin eating small, high protein meals consisting of solid foods. You will have to relearn eating skills such as taking small bites, chewing thoroughly, and eating much smaller portions. We'll ask that you carefully follow our Rules for Post-Op Success during your recovery period (and for the rest of your life). We have downloadable post-op instructions and further information about pre- and post-op protocols, nutrition, supplements, and other topics available on our Patient Information page. About six weeks after your LAP-BAND® System surgery, you will likely need to have an adjustment to the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band, and you can expect to have four to six adjustments in the first year after the procedure. After that, further adjustments are as necessary.

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How Much Weight Can You Lose with LAP-BAND® System Surgery?

The amount of weight loss you can achieve after LAP-BAND® System surgery depends on a variety of factors, including your unique metabolism and your commitment to adhere to a new lifestyle of sensible eating and regular exercise. After having LAP-BAND® System surgery, our Dallas, Lewisville, and Plano patients typically experience gradual weight loss of about one to two pounds every week. You can expect to experience similar results. Keep in mind that it only takes five to six calories a day to maintain one pound of fat. If you stop eating the equivalent of one doughnut a day — 300 calories — you will lose about 30 pounds in a year. Published studies of the LAP-BAND® System show that patients who maintain good eating habits lose about 50 percent to 60+ percent of their excess weight and are able to maintain that weight loss long-term. However, you must always remember that the success of your LAP-BAND® System surgery depends very much on your dedication to the program and to significantly changing your lifestyle.

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The Rest of Your Life

Maintaining long-term weight loss after LAP-BAND® System surgery requires that you adopt a completely new lifestyle. You must relearn good eating habits and stick to them for the rest of your life. Regular exercise is an equally important component of your new way of life. Exercise will not only hasten weight loss and help you maintain a trimmer figure, it will also benefit your general health and mental well-being.

It will be very helpful for you to attend our support group meetings and other events. You can meet others who have undergone LAP-BAND® System surgery and learn innovative methods for keeping your weight loss efforts on track. Our regularly updated Calendar of Events provides information about all of our events as well as dates, times, and locations.

Some patients need psychological counseling to help them overcome issues related to their obesity or to ease the transition into their new, healthy lifestyle. If you feel that counseling should be part of your LAP-BAND® System program, Dr. Veninga or your general physician can recommend a qualified therapist.

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LAP-BAND® System Surgery Risks

All major surgical procedures have associated risks and complications, including death. Because minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques are used for LAP-BAND® System surgery, our Dallas, Lewisville, and Plano patients face much less chance of complications than with open surgery. Nonetheless, this is a surgical procedure and severe obesity increases risks.

The LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band is designed to assist you in losing weight and maintaining weight loss. However, complications associated with the band can occur immediately after surgery or in the following years. There is a possibility of band movement, infection, or leakage of the band or reservoir. Some patients experience bouts of nausea and vomiting. Rapid weight loss can result in problems, and there is a chance that you may not lose weight or that you may gain weight. There is also a risk that the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band may at some point have to be removed or replaced.

Dr. Frank Veninga always ensures that his patients are fully educated about the risks as well as the benefits of LAP-BAND® System surgery. When you meet with Dr. Veninga, he will provide you complete information about LAP-BAND® System, including the possible risks and complications, so that you can make an informed decision about having the procedure.

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Schedule a LAP-BAND® System Surgery Consultation

LAP-BAND® System surgery has helped many Dallas, Lewisville, and Plano residents lose significant weight permanently. Visit our Testimonials page to learn what some of our patients have to say about their weight loss results and their LAP-BAND® System surgery experience at North Texas Bariatric, and read some commonly asked questions about the procedure on our FAQs page. Then contact North Texas Bariatric to schedule a private consultation with Dr. Veninga. Our expert doctor will provide you with full information about the Allergan LAP-BAND® System, and he will help you determine if the program is right for you.

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