Michael Feiz, MD, FACS is a leading expert in weight loss surgery who firmly believes that the best patients are fully educated on bariatric surgery and the changes to their body following the procedure. This is because, following a patient's choice between lap band vs. gastric sleeve, he or she will have to put in a lot of work in order to eat correctly, lose weight, and sustain it. If not fully prepared, these patients might simply now know how to take fullest advantage of a bariatric procedure.

What kind of information is important to know before weight loss surgery? For one, Dr. Feiz insists that his patients are fully aware of their options. The lap band and the gastric sleeve both offer their own advantages and disadvantages and it's best for a patient to match the surgery with their best wishes. For instance, the lap band is adjustable and reversible, but requires a stricter diet than the gastric sleeve and is sometimes ineffective, leading to a band to sleeve revision. In fact, many people who come to Dr. Feiz' office for a free consultation are not good matches for bariatric surgery at all.

Secondly, Dr. Feiz prepares his patients for the hard work that bariatric surgery needs in order to be successful. Patients will have to lose weight before the surgery itself, as well as maintain a special diet right before the operation. Then, after recovery time, these patients will have to follow a nutritionally rich diet while exercising regularly. Bariatric surgery is not the solution; it's simply a tool to make diet and exercise easier and much more effective, leading to life-saving weight loss. Dr. Feiz and Associates is proud to help patients through this process by providing diet and exercise tips, a support staff to answer questions at any time, and even provide a sleeve gastrectomy after lap band if the band proves ineffective.