REALIZE™ PERSONALIZED BANDING SOLUTION (February 06th, 2008)
DR. NESTOR DE LA CRUZ MUNOZ, M.D. AMONG FIRST TO OFFER REALIZE™ PERSONALIZED BANDING SOLUTIONFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Vine Communications, Inc. Nikki Konefsky/Adriana Sol (305) 447-8678 DR. NESTOR DE LA CRUZ MUNOZ, M.D. AMONG FIRST TO OFFER REALIZE™ PERSONALIZED BANDING SOLUTION -Interactive Plays Key Role in Helping Patients Reach Health and Weight Loss Goals After Surgery - Miami, Florida – February 6, 2008 – Dr. Nestor de la Cruz Munoz, M.D., head surgeon at the Surgical Weight Loss Institute is among the first in Miami to offer the Realize™ Adjustable Gastric Band, a 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. In the clinical trial that led to its FDA approval, Realize Band patients lost an average of 50 pounds or 40 percent of their excess body 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. “Gastric band patients are able to lose a significant amount of weight and improve their overall health status in a relatively short period of time, considering many have been morbidly obese for years prior to surgery,” said Dr. Nestor de la Cruz Munoz, Surgical Weight Loss Institute. “And while the surgery is among the most effective treatments for morbid obesity, it is just one stop along the patient’s journey. Patients must make changes to their diet and lifestyle after surgery to help achieve long-term success.” With that in mind, the REALIZE Personalized Banding Solution gives patients the REALIZE mySUCCESS™ program, which provides support to help patients successfully achieve long-term weight loss with the REALIZE Band. Through REALIZE mySUCCESS, patients and physicians can set goals and continuously watch the patient’s progress together—especially for the first three years, as the patient adjusts to his/her new lifestyle—so healthcare providers can step in precisely when needed to keep patients on track. With REALIZE mySUCCESS, patients establish a tailored progress plan, to develop new health habits in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, and emotional well-being. “REALIZE mySUCCESS works closely with our bariatric team,” said Melissa Cuesta-Gonzalez, LPN, Surgical Weight Loss Institute. “The information provided is comprehensive yet specific to the needs of a gastric band patient. Our patients are really benefitting from having this added support that is available online day and night.” - continued - Dr. de la Cruz-Munoz, M.D. is currently the attending surgeon at three major Miami hospitals, two of which were named Centers of Excellence, by the Surgical Review Corporation. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a Diplomat of the American Board of Surgery (General Surgery) and a member of both the American Society for Bariatric Surgery and The Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. Currently, Dr. de la Cruz-Munoz holds positions in the Speaker’s Bureaus for the United States Surgical Corporation and Ethicon Endosurgery. He has also received numerous awards throughout his career and has given presentations internationally in the field of bariatric and general surgery. For more information, please visit www.gastricbypassmiami.com or call Vine Communications at (305) 447-8678. #### About the Realize™ Band The Realize Adjustable Gastric Band is a device intended for use in weight reduction for patients with morbid obesity and is indicated for individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 40 kg/m2, or a BMI of at least 35 kg/m2 with one or more co-morbid conditions. It is for use in morbidly obese adult patients who have failed more conservative weight-reduction alternatives, such as supervised diet, exercise and behavior modification programs. Realize™ Band patients in the U.S. clinical study experienced a 22% increase in good cholesterol (HDL) and a decrease in bad cholesterol (LDL), total cholesterol and triglycerides 36 months after surgery. In addition, patients experienced a statistically significant reduction in the key indicator for type 2 diabetes (HbA1c). The Realize Band, which is marketed under the name Swedish Adjustable Gastric Band (SAGB) outside the U.S., has been commercially available outside the U.S. since 1996 and has been used by more than 100,000 patients worldwide to help
Farrah Santana
Vine Communications, INC
www.vinecommunicationsinc.com/
farrah@vinecommunicationsinc.com
Vine Communications, INC
www.vinecommunicationsinc.com/
farrah@vinecommunicationsinc.com