News

Welcome to the blog of bariatric surgeon James Parrish, MD. On this page, you will find a wealth of information for bariatric surgery patients – past, current, and prospective. We encourage you to read through the posts below to gain more information about gastric bypass, LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding, and other types of weight loss surgery. The news and announcements below can help you to become more knowledgeable about Dr. Parrish and his practice, as well as health, nutrition, and bariatric surgery in general. For more information, please feel free to contact us today. Our friendly and helpful staff is always happy to answer any questions you may have, and can help you to schedule a consultation with Dr. Parrish.

Why Do I Need to Quit Smoking Before Bariatric Surgery?

If you’re a smoker considering bariatric surgery, one of the things your weight loss surgeon will ask you to do is to try and quit before the operation. Smoking is linked with a wide range of serious health problems, including numerous types of cancer. Many obese individuals are already at a higher risk for certain cancers and other health-related conditions that are also linked with smoking, including esophageal cancer, stroke, and heart ...

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Can Bariatric Surgery Reverse Type-2 Diabetes?

As the leading form of diabetes, type-2 diabetes affects approximately 29 million Americans and can lead to serious health concerns—even death. One of the potential causes of type-2 diabetes is obesity, as excess weight can lead to insulin resistance or a poorly functioning pancreas. Fortunately, weight loss through diet and exercise or via bariatric surgery can help many individuals reduce or even eliminate type-2 diabetes. Weight loss surgery is designed to help ...

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Can Teenagers Have Bariatric Surgery?

Teens and Bariatric Surgery
Obesity is a disease that can strike individuals of any ethnicity, gender, or age. Teenagers and young people, just like adults, suffer from this serious condition, and treatment options are often more limited due to age restrictions. While weight loss surgery is considered to be one of the most effective techniques to address obesity, this operation is rarely performed on people under the age of 18. Our experienced bariatric surgeon only offers ...

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Will My Stomach Stretch After Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

Designed to reduce the size of the stomach, gastric sleeve surgery can help severely obese patients lose weight by limiting the number of calories that they can comfortably take in. The procedure works in part due to the smaller size of the stomach—so what happens if the stomach stretches? This is a common question our experienced weight loss surgeon hears from patients. The truth is, the stomach will stretch—it’s designed to stretch ...

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Can I Convert the LAP-BAND® System to a Gastric Bypass or Sleeve?

Patients who have had the LAP-BAND® System treatment may be interested to know that this procedure can be converted to a gastric bypass or a gastric sleeve. There are a few reasons why an individual may wish to switch from one weight loss surgery approach to another. Some patients simply lose more weight after sleeve or gastric bypass surgery than they do with the LAP-BAND® system. While the failure rate is still ...

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Is Cancer Linked to Obesity?

Excess weight and obesity can increase the risk of developing many life-threatening conditions, including cancer. The National Cancer Institute cited a recent study showing that, in 2007, an estimated 84,000 new cases of cancer occurred as a result of obesity. There are many different types of cancers, and our experienced bariatric surgeon, Dr. James N. Parrish, explains that some are more directly linked to excess weight than others. The cancers most closely ...

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What Can I Eat After Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

Also known as a vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), gastric sleeve surgery can help patients suffering from severe obesity achieve a significant reduction in excess body weight. Following the operation, long-term lifestyle changes - particularly regarding diet - must be observed to ensure optimal results and to reduce the potential for complications. Our bariatric surgeon James N. Parrish, MD emphasizes the importance of following the post-operative nutrition guidelines. To make this process easier, ...

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Bariatric Surgery for Correctional and Police Officers

Obesity affects people from all backgrounds and in all careers, including police and correctional officers. These dedicated civil servants have unique job responsibilities and physical duties that can be difficult to perform when carrying significant excess weight—but there are options available to them. Dr. James N. Parrish, our extensively trained bariatric surgeon, has had the privilege to help a number of individuals in law enforcement, and he’s seen how weight loss surgery ...

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New Non-Surgical Weight Loss Treatment – Alexandria Bariatric Surgeon On the ORBERA™ Intragastric Balloon

Weight Loss Surgeon in Alexandria Discusses ORBERA System
Dr. James Parrish says the ORBERA™ Managed Weight Loss System offers patients a new, less invasive way to fight obesity and start living a healthier lifestyle. Alexandria, LA – A new weight loss option is rapidly gaining popularity, and it utilizes a unique system of tools to help individuals lose weight and live healthier lifestyles. Dr. James Parrish, an Alexandria bariatric surgeon who also serves patients from Leesville and Jackson, Mississippi, says ...

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The ORBERA™ Managed Weight Loss System

Dr. James Parrish and his team here at Mid Louisiana Surgical Specialists are excited to announce the arrival of a new, non-surgical weight loss treatment technique that is rapidly gaining in popularity: the ORBERA™ Managed Weight Loss System. ORBERA™ is a comprehensive, medically supervised weight loss program that has shown to deliver remarkable results… and it does not require invasive surgery or extensive downtime. The ORBERA™ system is a multi-stage program designed ...

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