Patients find success with lap band surgery
There is no question we're losing the battle of the bulge. The CDC say two thirds of American adults are now overweight. And some looking for their inner thinness are going to the extreme and choosing surgery to shed the pounds.
The laparoscopic gastric band or lap band surgery is the less expensive, less invasive alternative to the gastric bypass surgery. And patients we talked to who opted for the lap band surgery say it wasn't just about shedding the pounds, but prolonging their lives.
Sandra Carmichiel, Lisa Richardson and Donna Schmitz are all eating better these days.
And now the sisters also have a secret weapon that is helping them battle the bulge.
Back in August all three underwent the lap band surgery at Baptist Memorial Hospital.
Their procedures were all performed on the same day.
"At first I thought they were crazy, because we've tried so many diets and I didn't think it would work and then the more I heard about it. I knew I had to do something about my health," said Sandra Carmichiel.
And after years of trying every diet around, even hypnosis, the sisters are finally eating less and shedding pounds. So far nearly 40 a piece.
"With me the big difference is I don't get as hungry after I eat. I can go several hours now without thinking about food," said Scmitz.
"With me I don't even think about it a lot of times, until my stomach starts to growl," Lisa Richardson.
The lap band is a silicone belt surgically placed around the neck of the stomach. This creates a new smaller stomach pouch that can hold only a small amount of food and makes you feel fuller faster.
Since there is no cutting, stapling or re-routing of internal organs it's considered the safest of all weight loss surgeries. And unlike the gastric bypass the lap band system is adjustable and reversible.
"There is a balloon that goes all the way around and that balloon can be inflated so if somebody was to come to the office and say I feel like I could eat a little too much I need a little more help in 2 seconds we can inject a tiny bit of fluid thru a tiny needle into this tubing that's underneath the skin and it will inflate that balloon making it tighter," said Dr. George Woodman, a Bariatrics Specialist with Baptist Memorial hospital.
Lloyd Watkins had the surgery four and a half years ago. At one time he weighed 360 pounds. Today his 177 pounds lighter. In fact, the surgery so successful two years later his wife, Brenda,decided to have the procedure.
"I've lost 100 pounds and I'm not through yet," said Brenda.
Before the surgery both suffered from high blood pressure and had trouble just getting out of a chair. Lloyd says that's no longer the case. Still, he cautions the surgery is no magic bullet.
"This is a tool it's not a cure, you have to be ready and you have to change what you eat," said Lloyd Watkins.
"You have to be ready to do this. To make big changes," said Brenda Watkins.
But Brenda says those changes can pay off big .
"I wouldn't be here today if I hadn't had this done 2 years ago," said Brenda Watkins.
The Lap Band Surgery can cost anywhere from $17,000 to $30,000 and in some cases insurance will cover the procedure. The patients we talked to were back to work in just a matter of days.
Patients must be about 75 pounds overweight or have significant health problems associated with their weight to qualify for the lap band surgery.
With any procedure there are risks. They include bleeding, infection and slippage of the band.
Baptist Memorial is hosting free educational seminars on surgical weight loss options in the hospital's seminar rooms 2 and 3 on Monday November 12, at 7pm; Thursday, November 29 at 7pm; Saturday December 8, at 10 a.m.; and Thursday, December 27, a 7 p.m. '
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, is located at 6019 Walnut Grove Road. For more information click on to the links at the top of this page.