Weight Loss Surgery: Medical Tourism.. Affordable, Low Cost Lap-band Procedure in the Dominican Republic

www.globalsurgerycenter.com

Lap-Band Surgery - Weight Loss Surgery

Safe, Rapid Weight Loss

It’s More Than a Question of Appearance!

Morbid obesity is not only unattractive, but life threatening. Even less severe degrees of obesity can be a major threat to the quality of your life. It has been estimated that 64.5% of all Americans are affected, to some degree, by problems related to obesity.

Obesity has been dubbed by some experts as “the mother of all diseases” because this condition either causes or exacerbates: dangerously high levels of cholesterol; high blood pressure; diabetes; impotency; hypertension; urinary stress incontinence; coronary artery disease; stroke; breast cancer; arthritic joints; sleep apnea; kidney failures; menstrual irregularities; asthma; swollen legs; depression; and dozens of

other health disorders.

Compared to a person of normal weight, a 25-year-old obese man or woman has a reduced life span, and can expect a loss of about 12 years of life.

Weight-loss surgery has been shown to improve one’s lifespan by reducing excess body weight. There are three common forms of weight-loss surgery:

• Gastric bypass surgery, a procedure that reroutes the digestive system, causing rapid weight loss.

Unfortunately, gastric bypass surgery also often leads to nutritional deficiencies that can cause

severe health complications.

• Gastroplasty, which also reroutes the digestive system, but is most notable because it restricts the amount of food that can be eaten by making the stomach smaller.

Bariatric Procedure –

• Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (also known simply as lap-band surgery), a procedure in which an adjustable band is placed around the upper third portion of the stomach to create a small stomach pouch.

Healthcare professionals can adjust the dimensions of that band to hold 2, 4, or 6 ounces of food. Thus restricting the stomach gives the patient a feeling of fullness and thus prevents overeating, while at the same time allowing the food that is eaten to be released more slowly into the lower portion of the stomach for

healthier digestion.

Of these three approaches, Global Medical Service offers you Lap-Band surgery, which is approved by the FDA, is the only treatment that is reversible, and is the least invasive of all the procedures. The lap-band procedure can be performed in 30 to 40 minutes with the patient remaining in the hospital for as little as

one overnight. However, it is generally recommended that patients allow an additional week following the procedure to recover, and that they adhere to a carefully prescribed program of diet and moderate exercise during that period.

The Three Phases

There are three phases associated with the Lap-Band surgical procedure:

before the procedure, during the procedure, and after the procedure.

Before the Procedure

This phase involves a complete analysis of your medical history and medical records by the Lap-Band Surgeon who may also interview you by phone or face-to-face to determine the treatment course.

If you accept the recommendation by the Surgeon, you will be asked to comply with a prescribed regimen of diet and exercise in advance of the actual procedure. During this time, we will help you to finalize your travel and resort accommodations. Every detail of your itinerary will be documented for you, describing what will happen from the moment you arrive at your destination, how you will be transported to the resort, the full range of dining and entertainment options that will be available to you, and plans for returning you to the airport for your trip home.

During the Procedure

During your procedure you should expect to remain

in our 80-bed facility for, at most, two days.

All of the costs associated with your stay at the Center are included for this service. That includes the surgery, the anesthesia, your medications, your meals, the over-night stay with a 24 hour nurse, post surgery garments per your surgery, follow up visits, your transportation between the Hospital and Resort, and any incidentals.

You never need to put your hand in your pocket, unless you want to bring home a souvenir.

After the Procedure

Assuming that you have devoted one-week, you will likely have time to enjoy the fun and sun of the

beautiful Dominican Republic. You will, however, be expected to follow any diet and exercise regimen prescribed by your doctors. For weight-loss patients, these procedures will vary, depending on your weight and weight-loss goals, but will typically involve your adopting and adhering to a new attitude towards eating, including:

• Initially eating only foods that have first been shredded in a food processor. For lap-band

patients, these foods typically include meats that are easily chewed and digested, or other forms of protein, low-fiber vegetables, and salads. (Protein intake is especially important to lap-band patients, who must consume 50-60 grams of protein daily. Prohibited foods will include bread, potatoes, fried foods, starchy vegetables, and any spicy consumables.

• You will be drinking protein shakes and relearning eating skills much the same as a new baby eats, and slowly adds new and chunkier foods to its diet.

Chances are, you will be heading home in about one week. Much of your post-operative time will be

devoted to ensuring that you know how to maintain the long-term benefits of this procedure. Your Global Medical Service Personal Care Manager will make follow-up calls to you, both to get any evaluative feedback you might have regarding this experience, and to help you adjust to the wonderful experience of becoming the new you!

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