According to the National Center for Health Statistics, obesity is an issue that affects one-third of all Americans. Obesity has been linked to several physical and psychological problems, such as Type 2 diabetes and depression, which make it all the more difficult to shed pounds through traditional weight loss methods like exercise and dietary restrictions.
Because of this, medical weight loss procedures such as gastric bypass surgery have become increasingly common across the country. But, this invasive operation isn’t the only way to produce life-changing results for individuals who are struggling with their weight.
At Longevity & Stem Cell Centre of Houston, we believe in taking preventative measures to fend off destructive diseases, so people may look and feel their best over the years.
Through our LAP-BAND® Fill Services, we can help you keep off the extra weight that has put your health at risk and stopped you from leading a full and happy life.
What is a gastric banding device and how does it work?
For a safer alternative to existing medical weight loss surgeries, overweight individuals who meet the appropriate requirements can enlist a surgeon to implant a LAP-BAND® gastric system.
Rather than stapling or slicing through your tissue, this FDA-approved gastric banding device is inserted through a few small incisions and looped around your stomach. It is then tightened appropriately so that your stomach can’t hold as much. This means you end up eating less food at every sitting, but still feel full.
The LAP-BAND® gastric system is made up of a flexible plastic ring lined with adjustable OMNIFORM® sections, or “pillows,” filled with a saline solution until they reach the perfect tightness around the stomach.
Why does my LAP-BAND® need to be adjusted?
According to the manufacturer, your LAP-BAND® will be adjusted multiple times during the first month and a half to make sure that it will produce the best results. But, the beauty of the LAP-BAND® gastric banding system is that it can be altered and adjusted to promote your weight loss efforts and, of course, ensure your comfort.
The device includes a small tube that stems up to an access area in your abdomen, making it a simple task to add or remove fluid to increase or decrease the tightness around your stomach.
Once implanted. your LAP-BAND® device can be easily adjusted at any time by a certified professional, like Dr. Gurney Pearsall at the Longevity & Stem Cell Centre of Houston. Dr. Pearsall developed his LAP-BAND® expertise during his time with Fill Centers USA in 2003, and continues to provide this all-important maintenance for patients who have pursued this form of medical weight loss.
Dr. Pearsall knows that, when it comes to LAP-BAND® adjustments, the key to is reach the “Goldilocks zone” – when the band is tight enough to do its job without being too restrictive.
Before a LAP-BAND® adjustment, patients should provide their operative reports and details about the devices they had implanted, and can also consult Dr. Pearsall so he can tailor his adjustments to their needs.
However, in the event that the adjusted gastric band becomes uncomfortably tight after the procedure, Dr. Pearsall can perform a complimentary “tweak unfill” within 48 hours to release some of the fluid that is restricting your stomach.
As well as providing Lap Band adjustments, the Longevity & Stem Cell Centre of Houston offers plenty of other services to boost the effectiveness of medical weight loss, such as dietary plans and weight-loss-based prescription services.
Because of the destructive conditions that can stem from obesity, we are eager to help people lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way.