Weight Loss after Gastric Banding Surgery
(LAP-BANDŽ and REALIZEŽ Band)

Many studies have been published describing weight loss after Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAP-BANDŽ and REALIZEŽ Band) Surgery. The good studies show that surgery results in long-term weight loss in the majority of patients.

It has become clear, however, that weight loss outcomes are highly variable between different practices and surgeons. Studies that show better weight loss results focus more on patient education, follow-up, and postoperative support.

Read below about the importance of patient education, follow-up, and ongoing support to achieve great long-term weight loss outcomes after Adjustable Gastric Banding, and see our weight loss statistics.

Achieving Success After LAP-BANDŽ and REALIZEŽ Band Surgery
Achieving long-term success after gastric banding surgery requires three things: controlling hunger, establishing good eating and exercise habits, and controlling nonhunger (emotional) eating. Surgery is a tool that helps to control hunger with smaller quantities of food. Success requires establishing new eating habits (which will lead to less food intake and control of hunger), and controlling emotional eating.

Patient education, follow-up, and ongoing postoperative support unequivocally help patients to successfully change their habits and stay committed and motivated to maintain these changes. The result is better weight loss outcomes.

Weight Loss - Our Results (>800 patients)
Our gastric banding (LAP-BANDŽ and REALIZEŽ Band) patients average almost 60% excess weight loss at 3 years (see table below - first column). These results are within the range reported by the best published gastric banding studies worldwide, which generally show 50-60% excess weight loss at 3 years.

We don't have long-term (> 5 years) data yet, but good Australian and European studies report that patients tend to maintain the majority of their weight loss over time (5-11 years).

In the beginning of 2008, we revamped our program to focus more on frequent early postoperative follow-up and early dietary and emotional eating support. The result has been a significant improvement in weight loss outcomes (see table below - second column). These results clearly support the idea that quality of postoperative support is correlated with weight loss outcomes.

Weight Loss after Surgery	Our Results* 2002-2010 (>800 patients)	Our Results* 2008-2010 (500 patients)
Excess Weight Loss at 6 months	36%	38%
Excess Weight Loss at 1 year	48%	52%
Excess Weight Loss at 2 years	51%	56%
Excess Weight Loss at 3 years	56%	Not yet known
Excess Weight Loss at 5-11 years	**	**

*Many weight loss surgery practices do not achieve equally good results – see explanation below
**Best long-term studies (5-11 years) report weight loss of about 50% excess weight

Certain groups of patients tend to do better than these averages. Our lower BMI patients (BMI < 40), for example, average 58% excess weight loss at 1 year, which is significantly higher than our overall patient average.

Remember, the weight loss results discussed above are averages - individual patients can lose more or less weight than the average. Our most successful LAP-BAND® patient, for example, lost 100% of her excess weight in 9 months after surgery.

Weight Loss - Other LAP-BANDŽ and REALIZEŽ Band Practices
Many gastric banding practices do not achieve equally good results. Why? Because many practices focus primarily on doing the operations and not on education, follow-up, and support. Why would this be true when these things are so important for good outcomes? Because of the way insurance companies work.

First of all, insurance reimburses more for surgery than for follow-up. Second, insurance generally doesn't reimburse at all for emotional eating support, dietary support, and education after surgery. Lastly, insurance doesn't reimburse for anything within 3 months of surgery.

The incentive is to maximize surgery, minimize follow-up, avoid postop education and dietary/emotional eating support, and not see patients for the 3 months after surgery.

Our advice is to be critical of the weight loss surgery programs you are considering. Our opinion is that most do not adequately prioritize follow-up and effective postoperative support. The result is inferior weight loss outcomes.

Learn More about LAP-BANDŽ and REALIZEŽ Band Surgery!
To learn more we encourage you to attend a free, no-obligation informational seminar with Dr. Oliak - call our Orange County office at 714-582-2530 or send us an inquiry form today!