Preparation is key for a successful outcome. Additional requirements may be suggested depending on your specific case. 35-37
Lap-Band Adjustment
IN TIJUANA, MEXICO
Home - Bariatric Surgery - Lap Band Adjustment
The Obesity Control Center is a world leader in gastric band (Lap-Band) surgeries. Our international team of surgeons have performed more procedures of this type than anyone else in the world. Our surgeons are not only among the most qualified in the world, but they also serve as instructing doctors having trained many of the leading American surgeons in this field. 16-18
Highest international safety standards
Obesity Control Center holds the world's highest safety standards from the Joint Commission and is a Certified International Center for Excellence. These designations put OCC in the highest class of health and safety, exceeding many American hospitals. 30-32
Lap-Band surgery and you.
The Lap-Band was one of the first innovations in gastric surgery, however, there are newer innovations, including the Improved Gastric Sleeve, that OCC performs to produce healthy and sustainable results. 16-18
What are the benefits of Lap-Band Surgery?
A Lap-Band delivers weight-loss results. Bariatric surgery treats obesity, metabolic disease, sleep apnea, and diabetes. 16-18
Is OCC safe?
OCC has the highest safety ratings, with safety standards that exceed most American hospitals. Certified by the Joint Commission, and a certified International Center for Excellence. Very few international hospitals achieve this status, and many American hospitals do not. 30-32
How is it performed?
Our physicians perform fills under X-ray. This procedure will permit us to visualize the size of the fill and the level of tightness produced when we inflate the band. We do this by accessing the port under the skin with a thin needle. 16-18
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What is a Lap-Band adjustment?
An Adjustable Gastric Band is like a balloon wrapped up around your stomach. A gastric band should restrict eating to about a third of your pre-surgical food consumption. If you can eat more than a third, you may need a “fill” or adjustment of the band. You must eat only solid foods since the band’s design restricts only solids. If you are eating mostly soft or liquid foods, we cannot evaluate the need for a fill. 16-18
Did not lose weight with the Lap-Band? We can help.
Solid food will easily pass through the band even when adequately restricted. However, after a year, even when following all proper protocols, some patients may not lose weight. They require a small adjustment to “fine-tune” their band to resume weight loss. 16-18
Why choose OCC for Lap-
Band adjustments?
With over 26,000 procedures and innovative techniques, Obesity Control Center is a world leader in Lap-Band and bariatric surgery. We are the busiest standalone center of excellence in metabolic and bariatric surgery. This gives us a unique advantage, especially when it comes to the Lap-Band. Lap-Band surgery is an effective medical procedure that has helped countless people get over the enormous hurdle of losing weight. 16-18
How we evaluate the need for Lap-Band tightening
You will marvel at seeing how the barium goes down your esophagus and then stops at the band. You will then see how your upper pouch (new stomach) fills, pauses, then slowly goes through and passes the band. We measure how long it takes the barium to pass. We determine whether we have the correct tightness, giving you the amount of restriction necessary for weight loss. The whole procedure takes only a few minutes. 16-18
What should I expect after the tightening procedure?
We will expect you to be on liquids for a couple of days for you and your body to get used to your new fill. Some people will try to eat solid food while driving or flying back home, but the food gets stuck, which then becomes a medical emergency to remove liquid from the band. This means you MUST follow medical orders after a fill. To learn more about lap band, visit medlineplus.gov. 16-18
Patient Success Stories
I needed a drastic change.
I had tried losing weight and failed on my own so many times before that I just knew I could no longer do it on my own. My health insurance benefits excluded weight loss surgery and I felt so defeated! I didn’t want the insurance companies to decide what I knew I needed. It wasn’t until I started searching for cash-pay costs that I ran across the OCC website (and several others). I looked at their testimonials and tried to find some of those people – I reached out to them on social media to get their thoughts. I started doing research on Dr. Ortiz. I researched the accreditations and certifications that the OCC held and was liking what I was learning. I looked into other facilities and Dr.’s, but none of them seemed to have as high of standards as OCC. After doing research and talking with others about their experiences both at OCC and at other facilities, I decided that it was time to get more information directly from OCC.
Obesity Control Center Compared To Other Bariatric Surgeons
- A quarter-century specialized in the weight loss surgery field. We were some of the first to perform bariatric surgical procedures.
- Three Master Bariatric Surgeons caring for every patient. You’re always in the hands of a world-renowned and highly-trained surgeon. We are the only international team of bariatric surgeons, offering globalized bariatric healthcare and the best of the best to our patients.
- Fully accredited as an SRC Center of Excellence in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery. We have also obtained the Golden Seal awarded by the Joint Commission International that signifies that we met the highest standards in patient safety and quality available.
- Pioneers in the field, including several registered techniques, patented devices, and many “firsts” in the field like teenage obesity treatments, the IGS Improved Gastric Sleeve®
- Stomach Sparing Gastric Sleeve, the Double-Buttress Sewing Technique and more.
Faster recovery and better outcomes. Shorter times under anesthesia and a less-invasive abdominal wall preservation technique. - Unique patient pre-surgery education and preparation and 5 years follow-up program, an industry first!
Meet Dr. Ariel Ortiz |
Obesity Control Center
Lap-Band adjustment FAQS
How do I prepare for gastric surgery?
Will I be on a diet before the adjustment?
Preoperative weight loss will detox your liver, making it lighter, and resulting in a quicker, safer weight loss procedure with less impact on your overall status. Even 5% of total body weight loss will result in a dramatic improvement in your ability to respond to surgical stress. 35-37
Is getting Lap-Band surgery in Mexico safe?
At OCC, we have over 26,000 patients that have traveled to our center. We are less than half a mile away from the international border to the U.S.A. Tijuana is now the second busiest medical destination for the traveling patient. At OCC, we are glad to be an essential part of this great reputation, as we have four full United States-based accreditations for health and safety in gastric revision surgery. 16-18
Are there any complications for lap-band?
A common occurrence for banded patients is the regurgitation of non-acidic swallowed food from the upper pouch, commonly known as PB’ing (Productive Burping). This is not to be considered normal. The patient should consider eating less, eating more slowly, or chewing their food more thoroughly. Occasionally, the narrow passage into the larger / lower part of the stomach may become blocked by a large portion of unchewed or unsuitable food. 42, 43
Schedule your Lap-Band tightening procedure today
Call or email us here to continue your weight loss journey. One of our US-based coordinators can show you how you can get the life you’ve always wanted with the help of the Obesity Control Center.
References
Click here to see how OCC compares to other facilities in terms of surgical rates, infection rates, mortality rates, and more.
