I have a wife with bulimia and it was getting to the point where I couldn't take it any more. She needed bulimia treatment badly, but I didn't know where to turn. Through the internet I came across your site and sent my wife for bulimia treatment at your center.
Whoever she first spoke with made her feel so comfortable, she even became excited about the possibility of not having to binge and purge any more. The change in her is amazing. I know she will always be recovering, but I am proud to say she is the most courageous person I know. Thank you for all of your help.
-- Preston V., Nashua, New Hampshire
I needed to find an eating disorder clinic so badly. I used to eat compulsively and had swung over completely to purging and laxatives. I felt so bad about myself, the shame and guilt was just killing me. I had been to an eating disorder clinic before, but they really did not address my mood swings, that I have since understood them to be a bipolar disorder.
Your staff kept telling me that my eating behavior was a symptom of other problems. Well even though I didn't believe them they turned out to be right. I don't use laxatives, I have even learned to exercise moderately. Thank you so much. By the way, it has been ten months since I last purged.
-- Bonnie S., Boston, Massachusetts
Well Shelly, I told you I would write when I had one year in recovery and here I am. Who would have guessed. I have so much gratitude for you taking your time and referring me to a great facility. I knew from the moment I walked in there that I was in the right place. The next time I come by it will be to visit, not as a patient. You are absolutely the greatest.
-- Venessa C., Raleigh, North Carolina
Lap Band Treatment
If you are looking for effective, non-surgical obesity treatments call our nationally recognized toll-free eating disorder helpline at 1-800-941-5313. Get the help you need to recover your health and reclaim your life. Caring professionals are standing by 24/7 to assist you and all calls are confidential.
The Facts about Lap Band Procedure
The laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding procedure, also known as lap band treatment, Lap-Band System or gastric banding is an invasive weight loss surgery that bands the stomach with an implanted prosthetic device. The device "divides" the stomach into two pouches connected by a narrow passage, which slows digestion and limits food-intake capacity. It helps patients reduce their appetite and feel full sooner after eating less.
Lap band treatment was approved by the FDA in June 2001 for use in weight loss surgery. The lap band procedure is comprised of three parts:
Silicone or silastic (pliable soft plastic) band
Reservoir or "port"
Tube connecting the band to the port
After performing a series of incisions, the surgeon will insert a small video camera to view the area where the lap band device is to be placed. The lap band is then inserted and placed around the upper part of the stomach. A small stomach pouch is formed just above the band, and the larger stomach pouch remains below the band. The reservoir or port is placed just below the patient's surface fatty tissue and skin. The port and the band remain inside the patient's body and are connected by the tube.
Injecting saline into the port inflates the band, which makes the passage to the stomach smaller, further restricting food intake.
Draining saline through the port deflates the band, widening the passage into the stomach, allowing greater food intake.
The surgical portion of the lap band procedure is sixty to ninety minutes and an overnight hospital stay is typically required.
If the process of locating the best eating disorder treatment program for you becomes confusing and a bit overwhelming, you can always call the national eating disorder helpline at 1-800-941-5313.
Lap Band Recovery and Aftercare
In the months after your lap band treatment, periodic office visits are necessary to adjust the band. Your doctor or nurse will pierce the skin with a needle, into the reservoir or port just beneath the skin, and inject or drain saline. Periodic lap band adjustments are part of the ongoing post-surgical treatment customized for each patient. Patients typically return to work in a week or so, and fully recover in one to three weeks. Your doctor will give you post-surgical instructions, which may include waiting at least an hour between eating, chewing food thoroughly, and a specific diet and exercise regimen. As with gastric bypass surgery, additional plastic surgery may be necessary to remove excess skin and to lift sagging body areas. Follow-up procedures may be performed two to three years after your lap band treatment.
As with any surgery, and with implanted medical devices, there is a risk of infection. Side effects of a lap band procedure may include slippage of the band, abdominal pain, nausea, or heartburn. More serious side effects may require another operation or hospitalization. Patients who are morbidly obese are at greater risk of complications.
