Bariatric Surgery for Weight Loss
Laparoscopic Gastric Banding Available at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital
Severely obese individuals who have never been able to keep pounds off with diet pills, exercise, or other weight loss programs now have a minimally invasive surgery option that significantly reduces the capacity for food intake.
Avera Bariatric Center
Michael D. Haley, M.D., FACS, and Andrew Y. Reynolds, M.D., FACS, both General Surgeons at Avera Mitchell Surgical and on staff at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital, have received training in the BioEnterics® LAP-BAND® System and offer laparoscopic gastric banding utilizing the LAP-BAND System. The LAP-BAND System, which is adjustable, is placed laparoscopically without cutting or stapling of the stomach or gastrointestinal rerouting to bypass normal digestion. To date, more than 100,000 patients worldwide have undergone the LAP-BAND System procedure, and since the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the LAP-BAND in June of 2001, interest in and use of the LAP-BAND System have been rapidly growing in the United States.
Dr. Haley and Dr. Reynolds established the Avera Bariatric Center, located at Dakota Medical Specialists, 2200 North Kimball, Suite 950, to provide care for lap-band patients. The Avera Bariatric Center and Avera Queen of Peace Hospital share a mission to deliver this new, minimally invasive surgical solution to an extensive patient base. Using the LAP-BAND System, created by INAMED Health, patients will experience reduced pain, trauma, and recovery periods, as well as sustained, healthy weight loss primarily because the procedure creates an earlier feeling of fullness and limits food consumption. Dr. Haley and Dr. Reynolds both completed an INAMED health-sponsored training program which included theoretical and practical instruction in the laparoscopic placement of the BioEnterics LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding System, and they are among the first surgeons in the area to perform the LAP-BAND System procedure. According to Dr. Haley, “The beauty of the LAP-BAND System is that it can be adjusted to the patients’ unique weight loss needs. That gives patients the opportunity to have the band removed without damage to the organs if a truly effective drug therapy should become available at a later date.”
According to Avera Queen of Peace President and CEO Tom Rasmusson, “Given the aggressive increase in rate of obesity, experts predict it will continue to escalate as a national health crisis. We are extremely pleased that Dr. Reynolds and Dr. Haley have initiated this new service which offers a viable solution to safely treat severely obese individuals.” Rasmusson continued, “This would significantly reduce or resolve the health conditions this patient group suffers from and drive down the massive costs of treating this epidemic, which already exceeds $200 billion when considering all obesity related costs on an annual basis.”
For more information about the LAP-BAND System, Avera Bariatric Center or if you have questions about the procedure, please call Dr. Haley and/or Dr. Reynolds at (605) 996-5482.
The Procedure
Dr. Reynolds described the surgery saying, “Through small incisions, we are able to use thin, long-shafted instruments to place the band around the upper part of the stomach. The band squeezes the stomach like a rubber band to create a small pouch and the narrow opening between the upper and lower parts of the stomach permits only a small amount of food to pass through at a time, giving the patient a feeling of being full sooner and longer.”
Dr. Haley added, “Because the narrow opening that the LAP-BAND System creates may need to be increased or decreased as the patient’s needs change, the device can be modified without additional surgery. During the initial surgery, the band is attached by tubing to an access port that is placed below the skin. Through the port and the tubing, the inner surface of the band can be inflated or deflated by a medical professional using saline solution.”
Why Weight Loss Surgery?
“Obesity contributes to numerous health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart conditions, and type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Haley. “Studies have shown that many of these conditions improve as patients with the LAP-BAND System lose their excess weight. Other components of the program may include consultation with a registered dietitian, education on exercise as it relates to weight loss, and consultation with a behavior modification professional.”
Weight Loss Success
Jason Swindler
Jason Swindler researched various procedures for three years before deciding to have the lap-banding procedure at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital in 2005. Having battled excess pounds as a child and in college, he had tried most of the popular diets, including Atkins and the Mayo Clinic diet. According to Jason, “I’d yo-yo up and down and usually gained it all back plus another 20 pounds after each diet.” This pattern continued until Jason’s weight reached 336 pounds. Meet Jason and read how lap-band surgery changed his life.
Darla Moody and Erick Hoffman
Both Darla Moody and Erick Hoffman had lap-band surgery at Avera Queen of Peace. Darla lost 85 pounds and Erick lost 90 pounds in one year. See their before and after pictures and read how lap-band was the key to their weight loss success.
Bariatric Surgery for Weight Loss Support Group
A free support group has been created for individuals who have already had bariatric surgery for weight loss or who are seriously considering the procedure. The Bariatric Surgery for Weight Loss Support Group meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7:00 p.m. in Conference Room #1 at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital. The meetings, organized by Marilyn Pemrick, Coordinator, are designed to give individuals who have already had a bariatric surgery for weight loss an opportunity to meet with others who have had a similar procedure in order to share ideas and offer support. Most meetings will include a special program and educational materials. For more information about the Bariatric Surgery for Weight Loss Support Group, please call the Avera Bariatric Center at (605) 996-5482.