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Detroit Medical Center’s Harper University Hospital is among the first in
southeastern Michigan to offer the REALIZE™ Personal Banding Solution. This
solution is made up of two key parts: The Realize™ Adjustable Gastric Band along
with REALIZE™ mySUCCESS program, an online program that provides support to help
patients successfully achieve long-term weight loss, which offers a unique
commitment for successful long-term weight loss for our patients.
REALIZE™ Band
 The REALIZE™ Band is an Adjustable Gastric Band device that
is surgically implanted around the stomach to help people with morbid obesity
lose weight and improve or resolve obesity-related health conditions, including
type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and high cholesterol.
The strong, soft, adjustable silicone band is wrapped around the stomach to
limit food intake – making the patient feel full faster and longer. The
adjustable REALIZE Band divides the stomach into two parts: a small upper pouch
and a lower stomach. The upper pouch can only hold about 4 ounces of food. For
this reason the patient will feel full sooner. Less food is consumed at one time
and makes it easier for the patient to participate in healthy eating and
lifestyle habits. With the REALIZE Band, weight loss occurs at a natural and
healthy rate – ranging from 1-2 pounds per week on average.
The REALIZE Band is intended for adults with morbid obesity who are 100
pounds or more overweight (a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more), or who have a
BMI of 35 or more with at least one obesity-related condition, such as Type 2
diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea or arthritis. Also, the REALIZE Band is for
use in obese adult patients who have failed more conservative weight-reduction
alternatives, such as supervised diet, exercise and behavior modification
programs.
In the clinical trial that led to FDA approval, REALIZE Band patients lost an
average of 50 pounds or 40 percent of their excess weight within the first year
of surgery and maintained that weight loss over three years. More than one-third
of patients lost 50 percent or more, and about 10 percent lost 75 percent or
more of their excess weight.
REALIZE™ mySUCCESS Program
Only the REALIZE™ Personalized
Banding Solution gives patients the REALIZE mySUCCESS™ program, which provides
personalized and online interactive support to help patients successfully
achieve long-term weight loss with the REALIZE Adjustable Gastric Band. Through
REALIZE mySUCCESS, the patients and their doctors can set goals together and
continuously watch the patient’s progress being made – especially for the first
three years, as patients adjust to new lifestyles, and, so their doctors can
step in precisely when needed to keep them on track.
REALIZE mySUCCESS is comprised of four unique main sections, each addressing
a different aspect of the REALIZE Personalized Banding Solution. They consist of
myPersonalPlan, myProgress, myNutrition and myFitness. It’s all organized just
for you.
Please click here for more details of each section.
How does REALIZE Surgery Work?
To
gain access to the abdominal cavity, small incisions are created on the abdomen.
Trocars, which serve as passageways for the surgical instruments, are placed
into the incisions. The surgical instruments are placed through the trocars into
the abdominal cavity. The surgeon examines the abdominal cavity using a
laparoscope or a video camera.
To view a more detailed illustration of the REALIZE Surgery, please click here .
After the insertion of the REALIZE Band, the surgeon will attach a tube which
is connected to an injection port. This port is used to adjust the band’s
tightness around the stomach after surgery. An incision is made on the upper
abdomen to insert the REALIZE Injection Port beneath the skin. The tube is
secured using the locking connector on the port. The injection port and tube are
placed beneath the skin.
Four to six weeks after your surgery, the doctor will tighten the REALIZE
Band by injecting saline into the injection port during periodic physician
visits. As the saline is introduced into the port, it travels through the tube
to the band and gradually creates a smaller upper stomach pouch. This smaller
pouch restricts the amount of food you can eat before feeling full. These
adjustments may be necessary as long as you have your gastric band.
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