In many respects, dealing with obesity is very similar to battling an addiction – but with one or two major differences. It’s not easy, of course, but an alcoholic, drug addict, or cigarette smoker can simply stop drinking, using drugs, or smoking. An obese person, however, doesn’t have the option of never eating again and, as all too many of us have found, defeating the demon of overeating over the long term can be all but impossible thanks to increasingly strong, perhaps nearly irresistible, cravings to eat too much of the wrong kinds of foods. Fortunately, Michael Feiz, M.D., F.A.C.S. has helped countless patients with his proven surgical approach to long-term weight loss.

One of the questions Dr. Feiz gets the most often has to do with the issue of Lap Band vs. gastric sleeve procedures. Both of these procedures can be highly effective for many people. However, more and more patients are opting for the sleeve gastrectomy. The procedure appears to have a major impact on the production of ghrelin, an important hunger-producing hormone, which makes doubly effective in terms of reducing the appetite.

For patients who may have already chosen a band procedure and haven’t had the results they might have expected, Dr. Feiz has had great success performing sleeve gastrectomy after Lap Band procedures. This procedure requires a certain amount of delicacy, like all bariatric operations, but the band to sleeve revision has been shown to be highly safe and effective – especially with a top surgeon like Dr. Feiz doing the work.