For many people who might be trying to lose a relatively small amount of weight, losing weight is mostly about looking good. For people who are medically regarded as severely obese, however, it is about survival. People with serious weight problems are likely to develop comorbid diseases like diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis. These conditions are chronic, and can shorten life by a matter of decades. Fortunately, Michael Feiz, M.D., F.A.C.S., is here to help. He founded Dr. Feiz & Associates so that patients like you can get the help they need with weight loss surgeries like sleeve gastrectomy after Lap Band.

This procedure, sometimes called Lap Band revision surgery, helps people continue their weight loss journey. Sometimes, a patient who has chosen the Lap Band device to lose weight does not experience the results they need to get healthy again. For qualifying patients, Dr. Feiz has the training and expertise to help. He can remove the Lap Band, then perform a sleeve gastrectomy, in which about 75 percent of the patient’s stomach is removed. This creates a permanently smaller sleeve, so the person feels satisfied after smaller meals, just like the Lap Band.

Unlike banding, though, a sleeve gastrectomy also removes the part of the stomach which produces ghrelin. This “hungry hormone” signals to the brain that the stomach is empty, but it does not stop affecting the brain until sometime after the person has eaten. This can lead to hunger pangs, and food cravings that make overeating extremely hard to resist and thereby sabotage weight loss. Reducing ghrelin is one of the many benefits of the sleeve vs. Lap Band procedures. Contact Dr. Feiz & Associates for more information and an appointment.