Laparoscopic weight loss surgery in Orange county and Los Angeles
Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding is the least invasive bariatric procedure currently available. It is associated with a 40% to 50% loss of excess body weight, and a significant reduction in co-morbid conditions related to obesity.
The LAP-BAND System is a silicone elastomer ring designed to be placed laparoscopically around the upper part of the stomach. This technique is considered minimally invasive. The band limits the amount of food that can be consumed at one time. The subsequent reduction in food intake results in weight loss.
REVOLUTIONIZING OBESITY SURGERY
With obesity reaching epidemic proportions, the search for safe and effective treatment options has taken on a heightened sense of urgency. While diet, exercise and medication continue to be the first line of defense in treating the disease, studies indicate that morbidly obese patients will not achieve long-term weight loss through dietary and behavioral modifications alone. Surgery remains the best hope for those patients convinced that the improved health effects associated with weight loss will be worth the operative risk.
In an effort to develop a new surgical option that eliminates many of the known associated operative risks and provide unique benefits compared to more invasive surgical treatments for obesity, the Lap-Band System and Realize Band have been developed to meet those needs. The Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding approach to sustained weight loss has a growing number of leading surgeons around the world hail as an optimal surgical alternative for improved health and enhanced quality of life with less operative risk.
Most people lose between one-third and two-thirds of their excess weight with the help of the gastric banding. It is important to remember that the LAP-BAND System or Realize Band are an aid to support you in achieving lasting results by limiting food intake, reducing appetite and slowing digestion. However, for the ultimate success of the operation it is very important that you play an active part in the effort to lose weight and keep it off by adopting a different lifestyle and eating patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Lap-Band System
NEWS
Obese Prostate Cancer Patients May Benefit More From Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy, also called seed implants, may be a more beneficial treatment than surgery or external beam radiation therapy for overweight or obese prostate cancer patients, according to a study published in the August issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.
Adult obesity rates increased in 37 states in the past year, according to the fifth annual F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America, 2008 report (http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2008) from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).
Early Weight Loss Could Help Control Type 2 Diabetes
People who lose weight soon after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes have better control of their blood pressure and blood glucose levels and are more likely to maintain that control even if they regain their weight, say researchers in America. The study, published online in the journal ‘Diabetes Care’, followed 2,500 adults with Type 2 diabetes for four years.
Obesity Risk Linked To History Of Chronic Ear Infections
More than 5 million children cope with the agonizing ache of ear infection annually, but a new discovery suggests damage to taste nerves caused by the common childhood ailment might increase the risk of obesity later in life, say University of Florida College of Dentistry researchers. Chronic ear infections appear to trigger a preference for high-calorie food, leading to increased consumption and excessive weight gain in adulthood, said Linda Bartoshuk, Ph.D.
Surgical Weight Loss Does Not Eliminate Obstructive Sleep Apnea
A study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that surgical weight loss results in an improvement of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but most patients continue to have moderate to severe OSA one year after undergoing bariatric surgery. .Results of this study suggest that it is the severity of the condition, rather than a patient’s presurgical weight, that determines if OSA will be resolved.
Study Shows The Power Of Energy Density In Mushrooms
Preliminary research, led by Dr. Lawrence Cheskin, MD, Director of John Hopkins Weight Management Center, suggests increasing intake of low-energy density foods, specifically mushrooms, in place of high-energy-density foods, like lean ground beef, is a strategy for preventing or treating obesity. This is good news for the more than one-third of U.S. adults age 20 and older who are obese, according to the Center for Disease Control.
Look up at a fast-food menu board and shed a pound? It may sound too good to be true, but according to a paper released today by the University of California’s Center for Weight and Health, new research shows that California adults could avoid gaining 2.7 pounds a year if calories were posted on fast-food menu boards statewide. The analysis combines findings from two key sources to understand how calories posted on fast-food menu boards could shape the health of California.
Chronic Ear Infections Linked To Taste Damage, Increased Obesity Risk In Children And Adults
Ear infections are a painful rite of passage for many children. New research suggests the damage caused by chronic ear infections could be linked to people’s preference for fatty foods, which increases their risk of being overweight as they age. Scientists from around the country presented their findings on this unexpected connection at the American Psychological Association’s 116th Annual Convention here Thursday.
Oxford “Obesity-Gene” Group Launches Target For Obesity Researchers
Oxford University’s technology transfer company, Isis Innovation, has launched range of new assays for obesity research – tools that can be used to identify potential drug candidates. A team led by Oxford’s Prof Chris Schofield has developed the assays. They are based on the group’s pioneering work which identified a gene and an enzyme strongly implicated in obesity.
Belly Size May Be Better Stroke Predictor Than BMI
A new study from Germany suggests that belly size and other markers of abdominal fat may be a better predictor of stroke than body mass index (BMI). The study was the work of lead author Dr Yaroslav Winter from the University of Heidelberg and other colleagues based there and at other research and clinical centers in Germany, and is published online before print on August 14th in the journal Stroke.
Role Of Obesity In Preeclampsia Studied At University Of Pittsburgh
A plague of obesity in the United States already is known to increase the risk of illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and joint problems. Now, an infusion of $6.4 million in grant support from the National Institutes of Health will enable researchers at the University of Pittsburgh-affiliated Magee-Womens Research Institute to investigate what role obesity may play in preeclampsia, a common complication of pregnancy that can be life-threatening for mother and baby.
People who use monosodium glutamate, or MSG, as a flavor enhancer in their food are more likely than people who don’t use it to be overweight or obese even though they have the same amount of physical activity and total calorie intake, according to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health study published this month in the journal Obesity.
Poor Physical Control Linked To Obesity
A study published on bmj.com reports that an increased risk of obesity later in life is associated with poor physical control and coordination during childhood. These findings, suggested by Walter Osika and Scott Montgomery (Orebro University Hospital, Orebro, Sweden), are yet another piece of evidence that correlates type 2 diabetes in adults, obesity, and poor cognitive function in childhood.
Overweight Hispanic Children At Significant Risk For Pre-Diabetes
A study by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) found that overweight Hispanic children are at significant risk for pre-diabetes, a condition marked by higher than normal blood glucose levels that are not yet high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes.
Running Improves Disability And Life Span In Older People
In middle and older ages, running may be associated with reduced disability and increased survival, according to a report released on August 11, 2008 in the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The United States, largely thanks to innovations in medical technologies, has made a major shift to a generally older population.
Obesity Not Always Linked To Higher Cardiovascular Risk
Two studies, one from Germany and another from the US published this week, suggest that obese people do not always carry an increased risk of heart disease, while some individuals of normal weight do. The clue appeared to lie in how body fat was distributed, for example fat in the abdomen, as indicated by a larger waist circumference, was a consistent risk factor in both studies.
Scientists Measure Connection Between The Built Environment And Obesity In Baby Boomers
Does your neighborhood have a lot of fast food outlets, few sidewalks, and no parks? If yes, your physical neighborhood may be hampering your ability to be physically active and placing you at increased risk for obesity. According to a research study conducted in Portland, Oregon by scientists at Oregon Research Institute (ORI), neighborhoods with lower mixed-land use and higher densities of fast-food outlets were more likely to have residents who were overweight/obese.
Losing Weight Soon After Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis Doubles Positive Outcomes
People who lose weight soon after a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes have better control of their blood pressure and blood sugar, and are more likely to maintain that control even if they regain their weight, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published online in Diabetes Care, the American Diabetes Association journal. This is the first clinical study to show that benefits remain even if patients regain their weight.
Controlling body weight is a complicated process, as any frustrated dieter might attest. But as scientists continue to investigate the brain’s intricate neurocircuitry and its role in maintaining energy balance, they are forming a clearer picture of the myriad events that lead to weight gain and weight loss.
A study of 228 women has revealed genetic variants responsible for body shape. Based on work in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, research published today in the open access journal BMC Genetics identifies natural variation in the human LAMA5 gene as a key determinant of weight. As the prevalence of obesity and related health problems continues to increase worldwide, there is considerable effort being devoted to identify genetic mechanisms that control fat storage.
PSA Screening May Be Biased Against Obese Men, Leading To More Aggressive Cancers
Testing men for elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood — the gold standard screening test for prostate cancer — may be biased against obese men, whose PSA levels tend to be deceptively low. And this bias may be creating more aggressive cancers in this population by delaying diagnosis, according to a new study led by investigators in the Duke Prostate Center and the Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center.
International Health Challenge Seeks Participants For Obesity Prevention Research
The University of Houston department of health and human performance is launching an international effort to recruit 500 participants for a study promoting healthy dietary habits and physical activity. The study will take place entirely in the virtual world of Second Life (SL).
Struggles Of Adolescence Can Be Particularly Painful For Children Who Also Struggle With Obesity
New research suggests that traits such as obesity during adolescence that may increase the risk of attacks from peers can result in health and psychological struggles that remain through young adulthood. The researchers say that this is one of the first studies to explore a possible link between victimization and weight changes for obese adolescents.
Immigrant Children May Be Less Physically Active Than Native US-Born Children
In the United States, it appear that immigrant children are less physically active and less likely to play sports than children born in the United States, according to a report released on August 4, 2008 in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
South Coast LapBand, 10900 Warner Ave # 121
Fountain Valley, CA 92708. Ph no. 714-777-7868