The Duluth Clinic Weight Management Program in Duluth, MN, will broadcast a LAP-BAND® weight loss surgery, live on OR-Live Tuesday, March 4, 2008, at 6:30 p.m. The public will be able to watch as a surgeon uses minimally invasive techniques to fit a special band around the upper portion of the stomach, which helps patients to feel fuller, eat less, and lose weight.

Duluth Clinic weight loss surgeon, Walter Medlin, MD, will perform the live procedure. Members of the Duluth Clinic Weight Management Program will help explain the surgery and answer questions as they are e-mailed by viewers. A patient who had LAP-BAND® surgery almost a year ago will also share his experiences and respond to questions during the surgical webcast.

You can click the "View Live Webcast" button on this page to view the webcast on March 4th. Computer users must have high-speed Internet service and have Windows Media Player, for PC or Mac, on their computers.

Dr. Medlin says LAP-BAND® surgery can have a profound effect on a patient's overall health, if he or she is an appropriate candidate for the procedure. "Thousands of lives are being saved every year with weight loss surgery," he says.

Patients typically lose one to two pounds a week with the LAP-BAND®. Over time, some people are able to reduce their need for medications for chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. They often experience greater mobility and less joint pain. "Many of my patients say they feel 10 to 15 years younger, and they have more energy," Dr. Medlin says.

To be a candidate for LAP-BAND® surgery, patients must have a body mass index (BMI) of at least 40, or a BMI of at least 35 if they have additional obesity-related health problems. During the procedure, Dr. Medlin uses small incisions to insert a camera and his instruments as the surgery begins. He watches the progress on color monitors, as he places the band around the upper portion of the patient's stomach and forms a new, smaller pouch.

The band is filled with saline, which is adjusted to give the patient a new sense of satiety, or fullness, when eating. Patients must adopt lifestyle changes, including smaller meals with plenty of protein and regular exercise, to see optimal results.

Patients receive education and support through the comprehensive Duluth Clinic Weight Management Program. From information sessions to post-surgery support groups, the program offers patients a variety of services. For some people, that means medical (non-surgical) weight management help from health care specialists.

"We're here to work with each patient's individual needs," Dr. Medlin says. "We want patients to feel they are in a safe, comfortable environment to address their weight loss concerns."

The LAP-BAND® weight loss surgery will be the sixth live surgical webcast to be broadcast from an operating room at St. Mary's Medical Center. During previous webcasts, patients have had the opportunity to watch a percutaneous coronary intervention, a minimally invasive abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, a pediatric osteotomy, minimally invasive colon surgery and knee-replacement surgery at St. Mary's. Archives of those programs are available on duluthclinic.

Visit: or-live/duluthclinic/2040 to learn more and view a program preview.

OR-Live