Everything is bigger in Texas, and evidently, that includes the people. Texas boasts one of the highest numbers of bariatric surgery centers per capita among the 50 states. And Dallas, in particular, is one of the fastest growing areas for weight loss surgery clinics. The most popular weight loss surgery procedure? Gastric banding, better known as the Lap-Band.

Dr. Jason Harrison has been performing weight loss surgery in Arlington, Texas—just 20 miles west of Dallas—for close to five years. He specializes in the Lap-Band procedure, and he has found that the Lap-Band is gaining popularity in Arlington, because it poses fewer risks of complications and has fewer post-surgical side effects than other weight loss surgery techniques, such as the gastric bypass procedure.

Lap-Band surgery is a restrictive procedure, which means that it limits the amount of food intake into the stomach. Gastric bypass, in comparison, is both restrictive and malabsorptive, meaning that patients not only eat less, but also absorb fewer calories—and fewer nutrients—from the food they eat.

With the Lap-Band procedure, a band made of silicone is inserted into the stomach cavity and wrapped around the top portion of the stomach. When saline is injected into a small balloon that lines the inside of the band, the band gets tighter. This results in the creation of a separate, smaller stomach pouch above the band, which reduces a patient’s appetite because it limits how much food they can eat before feeling full.

Because the surgery is performed using laparoscopic instruments, there is little risk of infection—one of the reasons that Dr. Harrison recommends the Lap-Band to patients in his Arlington practice. In addition, the recovery time is shorter than with other weight loss surgery procedures, and patients can generally go home within two days after surgery. Although initial weight loss is slower than with the gastric bypass, the long-term results are comparable.

For lasting success, however, patients must commit to lifelong follow-up care. As a patient begins to lose weight, the amount of fat around the stomach is reduced, which causes the Lap-Band to loosen. This allows the stomach pouch to expand, and patients no longer have the same feeling of satiety as when the band is tight. Consequently, the band needs to be adjusted every 2-3 months so that patients continue to lose weight, and so they can maintain a healthy weight once they reach their goal.

Dr. Harrison and his staff strive to develop a close relationship with his Lap-Band patients, knowing that they will be patients for life. In essence, Lap-Band surgery is actually just the initial step to weight loss—one that is effective only when combined with a healthy diet and regular moderate physical activity. Despite these drawbacks, however, Dr. Harrison finds that Arlington-area patients who have struggled for years with obesity are grateful to have a surgical treatment option, and his practice continues to grow.