If you have a BMI over 40, or comorbid diseases with a BMI of 35 or greater, you may qualify for weight loss surgery. Dr. Michael Feiz, M.D., F.A.C.S. founded Dr. Feiz & Associates to help patients who could benefit from weight loss surgery, including Lap Band or sleeve gastrectomy in Los Angeles and other areas of Southern California. Dr. Feiz and his compassionate team know that these patients have struggled for years to reach a healthy weight, but have had nearly no lasting success keeping the weight off. To stay healthy, Dr. Feiz knows that for some people, a weight loss surgical procedure is the answer.

The two most popular weight loss procedures are Lap Band and gastric sleeve. The Lap Band is a medical device which wraps around the stomach and creates an hourglass shape, resulting in a smaller portion of stomach to fill during meals. Most patients report feeling full much faster after a procedure. However, some patients struggle with the “hungry hormone,” aka ghrelin, which might prevent them from fully benefitting from a Lap Band. Ghrelin is produced by the stomach to signal the brain that the body is hungry. The Lap Band procedure preserves the entire stomach, which means the ghrelin-producing portion is still there. In some rare cases, a patient may find that ghrelin gets in the way of the Lap Band’s success, and they may choose to undergo sleeve gastrectomy after Lap Band.

While the band to sleeve revision procedure is fairly rare, Dr. Feiz and his team understand that there are many reasons a patient might choose to undergo this procedure. He has sought out the best training in this area to ensure his patients heal quickly after surgery, so they can continue their weight loss journey.