Ghrelin Steps into the Spotlight as Lap Band vs Sleeve Gastrectomy Question Rages On

Dr. Michael Feiz has been in the forefront of pointing out the importance of the formerly obscure hunger hormone recently mentioned by Rosie O'Donnell

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Dr. Feiz and Associates

May 13, 2014, 04:59 ET

LOS ANGELES, May 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In our celebrity centric-world, it often feels as if nothing is really real until someone famous talks about it. That's why leading bariatric surgeon Dr. Michael Feiz is delighted that comedian Rosie O'Donnell has referred to a formerly little known hunger hormone which is increasingly figuring in the lap band vs sleeve gastrectomy choice faced by weight loss patients. As a master not only of lap band and gastric sleeve procedures but also delicate lap band to sleeve revision, Dr. Feiz has been at forefront of spotlighting the role of ghrelin. A dramatic reduction in the body's production of the hormone may largely account for the success of the gastric sleeve after lap band and also as an initial procedure.

Ms. O'Donnell, who has lost fifty pounds and counting with the sleeve procedure, very succinctly explained how it works for US Weekly reporter Alison Takeda. "They remove two-thirds of your stomach, but everything else stays intact, and as a result of that, you can't hold as much food…The very interesting part is that in that other two-thirds are where all the hunger hormone lives," Ms. O'Donnell said, noting her surprise at how much less hungry she has been since her procedure.

While the effectiveness of the sleeve procedure might be news not only to non-experts like Rosie O'Donnell but also to many physicians, it has been on Dr. Feiz's radar screen for some time. Noting anecdotally how effective the sleeve gastrectomies were proving to be for his patients, Dr. Feiz examined the studies discussing ghrelin and determined that research has shown that the sleeve procedure was actually helping weight loss patients lose weight in two distinct ways. First, shrinking the stomach by approximately 75-85% reduces hunger and makes overeating more uncomfortable. Second, removing a section of the stomach called the fundus, which produces ghrelin, further reduces the excessive drive to eat that makes permanent weight loss such a nearly impossible task for so many people.

There's a good chance you've experienced the ghrelin effect yourself. If you've ever tried to loose even a few pounds, you might have noticed that, the more weight you lost, the hungrier you seemed to feel. Dr. Feiz and other experts point out that this is an example of ghrelin production in the body going into overdrive to encourage you to eat. A weight loss in centuries past indicated the possibility of a famine. Under those circumstances, being extra motivated to find food probably aided an individual's chances of survival. Today, however, with high calorie food being cheaper and easier to obtain than ever before in human history, and obesity devastating lives with a greatly increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, the situation is could not be more different.

Fortunately Dr. Feiz is here to provide the best in bariatric procedures. Of course, every patient is different and there are outstanding reasons for starting out with any of the currently available operations. If you are severely obese and wondering which, if any, of the available procedures are right for you, your best bet is to contact Dr. Feiz regarding a free seminar. For details, please visit www.drfeiz.com or call 800-868-5946.

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SOURCE Dr. Feiz and Associates