Summit, New Jersey — New Jersey Bariatric Center^® surgeon Ajay Goyal, MD, FACS now performs Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy, along with wide range of bariatric procedures including gastric bypass, LAP-BAND® and REALIZE™ Band, for the treatment of morbid obesity.

“Sleeve Gastrectomy is a relatively new procedure in the bariatric surgery repertoire of gastric bypass, LAP-BAND® and REALIZE® Band,” said Dr. Ajay Goyal, Founder, New Jersey Bariatric Center^® . “The short-term results are very encouraging. Studies show very good weight loss results, low complication rates and a significant reduction in post-operative hunger.”

The Sleeve Gastrectomy procedure (also known as Gastric Sleeve) involves surgically narrowing the stomach to the width of a garden hose. The resulting small (approximate 50-100mL volume), narrow stomach helps patients eat much smaller portions of food. Food consumed passes through the digestive tract in the usual order, where it is fully absorbed in the body with no need to take protein supplements as in gastric bypass surgery. Also, the Sleeve Gastrectomy procedure has been shown to result in decreased hunger after surgery. The result of Sleeve Gastrectomy is less overall hunger and satiety after eating smaller portions of food.

In recognition of the effectiveness of the procedure on June 16, 2010, Horizon BCBS will join Aetna, United Healthcare and Oxford in covering Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy as treatment for clinically severe obesity.

New Jersey Bariatric Center

New Jersey Bariatric Center^®, led by Dr. Ajay Goyal, has offices in Union and Hoboken, New Jersey . Dr. Goyal’s approach to patient care has resulted in zero mortality to date and a complication rate that is lower than the national average. These surgical results stand out as some of the best in New Jersey . If you or someone you love is considering bariatric surgery – Gastric Bypass, Sleeve Gastrectomy, LAP-BAND® or REALIZE® Band procedures - please join us for one of our free educational seminars. To register, call us at 908-481-1270 or visit us at www.njbariatriccenter.com