Renowned bariatric surgeon Dr. Michael Feiz knows that laypeople often get confused about the types of weight loss procedures that are available and is happy to clear up the confusion. Some of that confusion may be because the type of surgery colloquially known as stomach stapling, known medically as a gastric bypass, originally got the lion’s share of the publicity when it first emerged. Naturally, it was gastric bypass before and after pictures that captivated the public in those days, and so the bypass became associated in the popular mind with all weight loss procedures.

The Lap Band, however, has received its share of publicity in more recent years, largely thanks to some very well-known celebrity patients. This procedure uses a band to tie off a major portion of the stomach, greatly reducing its capacity and therefore curbing the appetite and ability to overeat. Since it doesn’t actually remove any of the stomach, this operation is a great deal less invasive than a bypass procedure and is also fully reversible.

Dr. Feiz has had great success performing these first two operations, but a third procedure may be the most reliable for many patients. The gastric sleeve is so-called because it actually reshapes the stomach into a sleeve-like shape. The procedure removes a very large percentage of the stomach, usually 75-85 percent of it. One reason the operation is thought to be especially effective is that, included in the portions of the stomach it removes, is an area of the stomach called the fundus, which is responsible for the manufacturer of a substance called ghrelin. If you’re wondering “what is ghrelin?” it’s a hormone that appears to be responsible for sending hunger signals to the brain – a signal obese people appear to receive all too often.

All three operations can have outstanding results. However, the only way to find out which is best for you is to contact Dr. Feiz & Associates.