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Lap Band Patient
July 15, 2008 |
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 66 % of all U.S.
adults are overweight or obese.
Renee Janvier-Couto is a southwest Florida resident who has struggled with
weight for as long as she can remember. “Basically I’ve tried many; very
different things to lose weight and none of those were successful long term.”
For many people like Renee the hardest part of losing weight is keeping it off.
She says, “Weight loss is very difficult when you get to a certain point and you
get to a certain age and it’s harder.”
Sometimes the only effective, long-term solution is surgery. A surgical
procedure gaining popularity is the Laparoscopic Band. It’s a procedure that
Renee thought would be successful for her. “The lap band is a gastric band that
they put around the stomach and basically what it does is it controls the amount
of intake that your stomach can hold.” During the procedure a tube is placed
from a band to a port just under the skin. This allows the surgeon to tighten or
loosen the band by injecting or removing salt water.
The operation is minimally invasive. In fact, Renee was able to go home the next
day.
She says the most difficult part is learning to eat the right foods in the right
amounts. “I mean you really have to get used to the portion size and how much
you can eat and what you’re supposed to eat when you’re really hungry.”
Educational classes and support groups are available to patients before and
after surgery. To attend an informational seminar on weight loss surgery options
you can contact Lee Health Solutions at (239)-343-9966. |
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