|
|
 |
|
Single-incision advances lap band techniques
Some of the clothes she purposefully bought too small as incentive to lose weight are starting to fit a woman who was the first in Houston to have a new weight-loss surgical procedure.
The patient of Dr. Sherman Yu received a single-incision lap band procedure a month — and nearly 20 pounds —ago.
She’s thrilled and relieved, but prefers to remain anonymous as she whittles away at about 60 additional pounds. Meanwhile, her aunt, who is a seamstress, is on alert for any alterations along the way, the patient said.
Yu is medical director at Park Plaza Hospital & Medical Center’s bariatric program. The laparoscopic weight loss procedure took about an hour and entailed his making one incision through the patient’s abdominal wall.
Yu considers the single-incision approach (as opposed to the traditional one requiring five) an advancement since it reduces the amount of scarring.
Since only a handful of these surgeries have been performed, it’s hard to definitely say there’s less pain, he said, though further research may reach this conclusion.
Not every overweight or obese patient is a candidate for SILS, or single-incision laparoscopic surgery. People with lower body mass indexes are better candidates , he said.
In fact, “We can’t determine if someone will be a good candidate for the surgery until we get into the operating room,” Yu said.
As with all surgeries, getting a SILS Lap Band does have its risk of complications, including band slippage, bleeding, band erosion, blood clots and failure to lose weight.
After surgery, a patient must be dedicated to changing his or her lifestyle to eat healthier and exercise more.
“The surgery is a tool for weight loss,” he said. “It’s not a cure-all.”
|
| |
|
|
email this page to a friend
|
|