Obesity is a disease and should be treated as one. The fight to overcome obesity is not easy. There are never-ending struggles in diets, fluctuating weight and insecurities that can put a negative effect on anyone's self-esteem.

Most find themselves trapped for years in this cycle and are unable to lose weight and keep it off despite their best efforts. However, there is hope. With the right combination of diet and excercise, weight loss surgery can help almost anyone achieve their weight loss goals. Dr. Bassam Zakhour has enabled people to improve both health and life with a weight loss program that helps them make a change for the better.

If you're coming in for your first visit to our office go to the "New Patients Forms" page. Printing these forms and filling them out before your visit could save you time.

Obesity is emerging as a health epidemic around the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity is rapidly spreading across all regions and demographic groups. An estimated 97 million adults in the United States are overweight or obese. That figure represents more than 50% of the American adult population. Of this group, 11 million adults suffer from severe obesity.

Obesity is an excess of total body fat, which results from caloric intake that exceeds energy usage. A measurement used to assess health risks of obesity is Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is calculated by dividing body weight (lbs.) by height in inches squared (in2) and multiplying that amount by 704.5. The metric calculation for BMI is kg/m2.

Approved by the FDA in June 2001, LAP-BAND System is the safest, least invasive and only adjustable surgical treatment for morbid obesity in the United States. It induces weight loss by reducing the capacity of the stomach, which restricts the amount of food that can be consumed. Since its clinical introduction in 1993, almost 150,000 LAP-BAND procedures have been performed around the world and over 30,000 in the U.S. alone.

Minimally Invasive Approach

During the procedure, surgeons usually use laparoscopic techniques (using small incisions and long-shafted instruments), to implant an inflatable silicone band into the patient's abdomen. Like a wristwatch, the band is fastened around the upper stomach to create a new, tiny stomach pouch that limits and controls the amount of food you eat. It also creates a small outlet that slows the emptying process into the stomach and the intestines. As a result, patients experience an earlier sensation of fullness and are satisfied with smaller amounts of food. In turn, this results in weight loss.