Bradley Waggoner, MD

FDA Expands Use of Banding System for Weight Loss

The Feb. 16, 2011, approval expands the use of the LAP-BAND to include obese individuals with a BMI of 30 to 34 who also have an existing condition related to their obesity.

The FDA approved the LAP-BAND in 2001 for use in severely obese patients with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 40, those with a BMI of at least 35 and who also have an existing severe condition related to their obesity, such as heart disease or diabetes, or those who are at least 100 pounds overweight. BMI is a general measure of body fat based on an individual’s weight and height.

“Obesity is a major public health concern in the United States,” said William Maisel, M.D., M.P.H., deputy director for science at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “A healthy lifestyle and weight loss are keys to improvements in health and a person’s overall quality of life.”

Use of the LAP-BAND in patients with BMIs between 30 and 40 was examined in a U.S. study. Results showed that 80 percent of patients lost at least 30 percent of their excess weight and kept it off for one year. Some patients in the study lost no weight, while others lost more than 80 percent of their extra weight.

In the same study, more than 70 percent of patients experienced an adverse event related to LAP-BAND, most often vomiting and difficulty swallowing. The events ranged from mild to severe but most were mild and resolved quickly.

Seven out of 149 patients needed other procedures after implantation: four to remove the LAP-BAND, two for port revisions, and one to reposition the LAP-BAND.

The LAP-BAND works by limiting the amount of food that can be eaten at one time and increasing the time it takes for food to be digested, to help people eat less. It is placed around the upper part of the stomach during a surgical procedure. The band creates a small stomach pouch that holds a small amount of food.

The LAP-BAND should not be used in certain people, for example, those who are poor candidates for surgery, have certain stomach or intestinal disorders or an infection, take aspirin frequently, or are addicted to alcohol and/or drugs. It should also not be used in those not able or willing to follow dietary and other recommendations.

Source: Reprinted with editorial adaptations from materials provided by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://opa.yale.edu/health-medicine

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If you are considering weight loss surgery, you owe it to yourself to choose a physician who is not only highly skilled, but caring and compassionate as well. Many physicians out there will treat your obesity. Dr. Waggoner will treat you!

To contact us for more information and/or to reserve your seat for the next free seminar, please click here.

Are You a Candidate for Weight Loss Surgery?

There are so many things to consider when deciding whether or not weight loss surgery is the best option. The following are basic questions to ask yourself:

• What do I expect from undergoing a weight loss surgery procedure such as gastric bypass or Lap-Band® System?
• Have I sufficiently exhausted the traditional weight loss methods of diet and exercise.
• What is my Body Mass Index?
• Am I truly a candidate for weight loss surgery?
• Am I willing to make life-long changes after the surgery to keep the weight off?

The above questions should help to get you going, but as you learn more about your weight loss options, expect to have more questions. The more informed you are regarding weight loss procedures and options, the better prepared you will be when the time comes to make your decision. Keep track of your research and have questions ready to ask your doctor on your next visit.

To learn more about obesity surgery options such as the LAP-BAND System, attend one of our free weight loss surgery seminars. Dr. Bradley Waggoner of Cypress Bariatric & General Surgery hosts free LAP-BAND System Seminars each month from his bariatric clinic in North Houston.

There are so many things to consider when deciding whether or not weight loss surgery is the best option. The following are basic questions to ask yourself:

• What do I expect from undergoing a weight loss surgery procedure such as gastric bypass or Lap-Band® System?
• Have I sufficiently exhausted the traditional weight loss methods of diet and exercise.
• What is my Body Mass Index?
• Am I truly a candidate for weight loss surgery?
• Am I willing to make life-long changes after the surgery to keep the weight off?

The above questions should help to get you going, but as you learn more about your weight loss options, expect to have more questions. The more informed you are regarding weight loss procedures and options, the better prepared you will be when the time comes to make your decision. Keep track of your research and have questions ready to ask your doctor on your next visit.

To learn more about obesity surgery options such as the LAP-BAND System, attend one of our free weight loss surgery seminars. Dr. Bradley Waggoner of Cypress Bariatric & General Surgery hosts free LAP-BAND System Seminars each month from his bariatric clinic in North Houston.

2011 Schedule Set for Free Weight Loss Surgery Seminars in Houston Area

 

"It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not."
~ Anonymous

 

Meet Dr. Waggoner And Learn More About
Your Weight Loss Surgery Options!

Houston Area: If you've been thinking about bettering your health and life-expectancy by having a surgical weight loss procedure, then we encourage you to attend our free weight loss surgery seminar.

Dr. Bradley Waggoner will host these seminars and will be on hand to answer all of your questions as they pertain to your weight loss surgery options such as Sleeve Gastrectomy, Gastric Bypass Surgery or LAP Band System Surgery.

Below are the Weight Loss Surgery Seminar dates for 2011. The seminars will be held at North Cypress Medical Center Hospital* in the Houston, Texas area.

Dr. Bradley Waggoner's Free Seminar Schedule Please Call 281-640-8373 to Reserve Your Space
January 2011
January 18	NCMC	6:00 pm
February 2011
February 12	NCMC	10:00 am
March 2011
March 1	NCMC	6:00 pm
April 2011
April 16	NCMC	10:00 am
May 2011
May 3	NCMC	6:00 pm
June 2011
June 7	NCMC	6:00 pm
July 2011
July 9	NCMC	10:00 am
August 2011
August 2	NCMC	6:00 pm
September 2011
September 10	NCMC	10:00 am
October 2011
October 4	NCMC	6:00 pm
November 2011
November 17	NCMC	6:00 pm
December 2011
December 20	NCMC	6:00 pm

Weight Loss Surgery Seminar Location:
North Cypress Medical Center Hospital
21214 Northwest Freeway
Cypress, TX 77429

For more information, directions, and/or to reserve your seat, please contact us.

Model Estimates Risks and Benefits of Bariatric Surgery for Severely Obese

A computerized model suggests that most morbidly obese individuals would likely live longer if they had gastric bypass surgery, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. However, the best decision for individual patients varies based on factors such as age, increasing body mass index and the effectiveness of surgery.

An estimated 5.1 percent of the U.S. population is morbidly obese, often defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher, according to background information in the article. Available evidence suggests that dietary, behavioral and pharmacologic treatments frequently do not result in meaningful weight loss for individuals in this group. Bariatric surgery appears to be the only effective therapy for promoting clinically significant weight loss and improving obesity-related health conditions for the morbidly obese. However, the procedure is not without risk, including in-hospital death.

Daniel P. Schauer, M.D., M.Sc., of the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, and colleagues used two nationally representative surveys and a recent large observational trial to construct a model estimating the benefits and risks of gastric bypass surgery for individuals with morbid obesity. The model included data from almost 400,000 individuals nationwide to estimate the risk of death from obesity and its complications; data from 23,281 patients undergoing bariatric surgery to calculate in-hospital death rates following the procedures; and outcomes from participants in a seven-year study to determine the effects of surgery on survival and to calibrate and validate the model.

According to the resulting model, an average 42-year-old woman with a BMI of 45 would gain an estimated additional three years of life expectancy as a result of undergoing bariatric surgery; a 44-year-old man with the same BMI would gain an estimated 2.6 additional years.

Additional analyses revealed that younger women with higher BMIs are projected to gain the most life expectancy from surgery. Younger men with higher BMIs might also gain more life expectancy after surgery, but the gain would be less for men than for women in each subgroup. "Younger patients have lower surgical risk and more time over which to realize the benefits of surgery," the authors write. "For older patients, the gain is smaller, and for some, gastric bypass surgery will decrease life expectancy."

"The decision analysis presented here is a step forward in understanding optimal patient selection but also highlights some of the areas for which better data are needed," they continue. For instance, the risk-benefit balance changes based on how effective bariatric surgery is likely to be. More information is needed about how individual patient characteristics—for example, having diabetes—affect the efficacy of the procedure.

"In conclusion, while not all patients are guaranteed a good outcome, our model indicates that gastric bypass increases life expectancy for most patient subgroups; however, for those at high surgical risk or in whom efficacy of surgery is likely to be low, benefit will be minimal," the authors write. "We believe results of this analysis can be used to better inform both patients' and physicians' decisions regarding gastric bypass surgery."

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Story Source: Adapted from materials provided by  JAMA and Archives Journals.

Medical Advice Disclaimer: The content of this blog entry is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician, or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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If you are considering weight loss surgery, you owe it to yourself to choose a physician who is not only highly skilled, but caring and compassionate as well. Many physicians out there will treat your obesity. Dr. Waggoner will treat you!

To contact us for more information and/or to reserve your seat for the next free seminar, please click here.

Beat The Heat and Attend Dr. Bradley Waggoner's Free Seminar on Weight Loss Surgery This Summer!

We don't need to tell you how hot the long summer days can be in the south! And if you've been carrying excessive weight, the humidity can become quite unbearable and even quite possibly a hazard to your health. So, if you think you may be a candidate for weight loss surgery and have been waiting for the right moment to talk to a weight loss surgeon, we have the perfect solution for you!

Dr. Bradley Waggoner will be on hand throughout the summer months hosting free weight loss surgery seminars. Among your options to consider is Lap-Band System Surgery which will be a topic of discussion you won't want to miss. You'll be in good company along with fellow candidates who might ask questions you may not have thought to mention.

The first of the seminars will be held on June 3rd at 6:00PM followed by a second seminar on June 28 at 10:00AM. Both weight loss surgery seminars will be located at North Cypress Medical Center in northwest Houston. Click on the below address which will forward you to contact information for reserving a seat, along with driving directions.

North Cypress Medical Center
21214 Northwest Freeway
Cypress, TX 77429

Additional seminars will be hosted throughout the summer. Stay tuned for additional dates. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Bradley Waggoner, Your Weight Loss Surgeon

Patients choose Bradley Waggoner for LAP-BAND® System Surgery because not only does he have extensive training in advanced Laparoscopic surgery and Laparoscopic Bariatric surgery, but because he truly cares about the well-being of his patients.

It is not skill alone, that makes a surgeon succeed. It is also a compassionate bedside manner and a true desire to improve the quality of life for each and every patient.

Physicians and colleagues have often commented on the skill of his hands, and patients have commented equally on his caring, compassion and dedicated follow up.

In fact, the reason Dr. Waggoner has decided to expand his practice to focus more on LAP-BAND surgery and other types of weight loss surgery is to improve the health and vitality of his patients.

Dr. Waggoner understands that no two patients are the same. Even though he may perform the same surgery on two patients, he will develop a customized weight loss surgery program for each one. Additionally, Dr. Waggoner is extremely committed to post surgery follow-ups and aftercare. He will often check-in with patients even when not medically necessary -- just to see how they are progressing following surgery.

If you are considering weight loss surgery, you owe it to yourself to choose a physician who is not only highly skilled, but caring and compassionate as well. Many physicians out there will treat your obesity. Dr. Waggoner will treat you!

Contact Us:

• If you are ready to set-up an appoint to discuss your weight loss options with Dr. Bradley.
• Reserve your seat at the next free seminar on Lap-Band Surgery and meet Bradley Waggoner in person.