LAP-BAND®

Methods of weight loss surgery have been developed and refined over many years of research and application. In Miami and Fort Lauderdale, the LAP-BAND® surgery system from Allergan incorporates some of the most beneficial elements: adjustability and a minimally invasive approach. This FDA-approved system helps you lose and manage weight by reducing the amount of food that your stomach can hold.

At the South Florida Center for Cosmetic Surgery, we are committed to helping men and women in Miami and Fort Lauderdale look and feel their very best. If you suffer from obesity, you understand that you haven't felt or looked the way you'd like in a very long time. That's why we've chosen to bring Dr. Emil Matei into our practice – to perform bariatric and weight loss surgery safely and effectively for beautiful, life-changing results. To learn more about LAP-BAND surgery, you can request a consultation online or call 954.565.7575 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Matei.

How It Works

With this FDA-approved system, a silicone ring filled with saline is placed around the upper part of your stomach to make it smaller. The new, smaller stomach created by the LAP-BAND cannot hold as much food as it did before surgery. Because your stomach is smaller, you feel full sooner and for longer. You consume less food and lose weight.

The LAP-BAND is best suited for people with a BMI of around 40, or with a BMI of 35 if they have a weight-related health condition. However, if you're looking for quicker results with less follow-up care you may want to consider laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy instead.

Benefits of LAP-BAND

Dr. Matei's patients in Miami and Fort Lauderdale have found that the LAP-BAND system offers many benefits.

• The procedure is minimally invasive. This means that incisions are smaller, leading to less scarring, reduced pain, and a shorter recovery time.
• The stomach and bowel are not cut or stapled.
• There are fewer risks and side effects associated with the procedure than with gastric bypass.
• The system is adjustable so that Dr. Matei can fine-tune your weight loss without additional surgery.
• The LAP-BAND system provides effective long-term weight loss, even for women who decide to become pregnant.
• The device can be removed at any time and your stomach will return to its normal state.

The Procedure

With the patient under general anesthesia, small incisions will be made through which a laparoscope will be inserted. With the aid of the visual images produces by the laparoscope, the silicone ring of the LAP-BAND is wrapped around the upper part of the stomach like a wrist watch. The ring is attached to an access port which is fixed inconspicuously beneath the skin of your abdomen. If the LAP-BAND needs to be adjusted, Dr. Matei can use this access port to add or subtract saline to fill the silicone ring, making it tighter or looser.

Most patients are able to return to light work in a few days to a week after surgery. Strenuous activity should be avoided for 4 to 6 weeks. It's important that you carefully follow Dr. Matei's directions for your recovery and do not push your body too far as you heal from the procedure.

Your Weight Loss

A precise and well-managed diet is essential to the success of your LAP-BAND procedure in South Florida. Dr. Matei will help create a diet plan for you and will be available to you every step of the way if you have any questions about what you can eat. During the first few weeks after surgery, you will be limited to a liquid diet. Then, you may add in pureed and soft foods. At 6 weeks, most people are able to begin eating solid food again.

The amount of weight you lose depends greatly upon your ability to eat the appropriate diet, exercise regularly, and otherwise support your continued weight loss. If you follow all of Dr. Matei's instructions, you can expect to lose about 1 pound per week for the first year, although 2 to 3 pounds a week is also possible. After 12 to 18 months, weight loss levels out but can continue on a gradual and steady basis.