LAP-BAND(R) System Offers Chance for New Year, New You; American Institute of Gastric Banding Provides New Year’s Resolution Solution

DALLAS, Jan. 2 /PRNewswire/ — In 2007, an estimated 27 percent(1) of Americans will ring in the New Year with a resolve to lose weight. To accomplish their weight-loss goal, an increasing number will turn to an innovative procedure with a revolutionary ring of its own, the LAP-BAND(R).

With the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band procedure, or LAP-BAND(R), as it is commonly known, a silicone ring is inserted by laparoscope around the top of the stomach to make a small stomach pouch, so you simply eat less. This FDA-approved weight-loss option is offered by Dallas-based American Institute of Gastric Banding (AIGB), whose surgeons have performed more of these procedures than any other group in the United States.

According to the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, nearly 170,000 surgical weight-loss procedures were performed in 2005, of which approximately 30 percent were the LAP-BAND(R) procedure. This percentage is expected to rise significantly in 2007, as more people choose this increasingly popular and safe weight-loss option and New Year’s resolution solution.

Unlike the more drastic weight-loss surgery options, the LAP-BAND(R) procedure is less invasive, completely adjustable and customizable to the patient. A LAP-BAND(R) patient digests and absorbs important nutrients the same as individuals who have not had weight-loss surgery, and can enjoy many of the same foods as well.

According to Paul E. O’Brien, M.D., National Medical Director for the American Institute of Gastric Banding, who led a study(2) that was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine last May, LAP-BAND(R) System surgery is significantly more effective in reducing weight and improving health and quality of life than non-surgical weight-loss programs. Thus, it offers those individuals who are at least 40 pounds overweight a more successful and permanent alternative to reaching their weight-loss and health-related goals.

“[The study] confirms the results of prior studies that weight-loss surgery is superior over traditional approaches like diet and exercise alone,” said Dr. O’Brien, author of the book, “LAP-BAND(R) Solutions: Living with the LAP-BAND(R),” which will be available in early 2007.

While weight loss ranks as the most common New Year’s resolution Americans make, improving general fitness and overall health also rate high on the list. The LAP-BAND(R) procedure can help reduce or eliminate problems such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea and high cholesterol in a large majority of patients.

For AIGB clients like Kristen, who once weighed 236 pounds and wore a size 22/24, each New Year brings yet another reason to rejoice.

Before undergoing the LAP-BAND(R) procedure at an AIGB surgical center, Kristen had tried everything from diets, calorie counting, weight doctors, pills, hypnotherapy, starvation, excessive exercise, and more, in a never- ending attempt to take control of her weight…and her health.

“Food was the only consistent thing in my life, besides the promise that the weight would always come back,” she said. “I was exhausted and felt completely hopeless.”

In the year and a half since her LAP-BAND(R) procedure, Kristen has lost 90 pounds and reports she’s never felt better.

“My desire is for others to find the joy in living your life the way you were meant to live it,” she said. “There is so much peace in knowing that you are no longer a slave to food and that each day that passes is a healthier and happier one.”

About AIGB:

The American Institute of Gastric Banding is an industry-leading network of health care professionals specializing in the treatment and care of overweight and obese individuals. AIGB’s physicians, health care professionals, surgical centers, and support resources are dedicated to the LAP-BAND(R) patient. AIGB specializes in the LAP-BAND(R) System procedure and is widely recognized as the number one provider of the procedure in the world. AIGB also provides a comprehensive, multi-discipline aftercare program to ensure the success of the bariatric patient. In addition to the Surgery Center of Richardson, AIGB currently has specialty surgery centers in Fort Worth, Houston, and the San Antonio/Austin area. AIGB surgeons have performed more than 7,000 procedures, ensuring seasoned professionals with the experience to handle most every patient’s need. For additional information on AIGB and weight loss, please call 1-866-380-AIGB or visit http://www.aigb.com/ .

    (1) myGoals.com    (2) May 2, 2006 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, conducted by the        Centre for Obesity Research and Education at Monash University,        Australia  

American Institute of Gastric Banding

CONTACT: Susan Storey, +1-214-862-0622, susan@taylorcurtismedia.com

Web site: http://www.aigb.com/