Millions of Americans struggle with their weight...and for those who are obese, the challenge of losing all those extra pounds can be overwhelming.

Some of the people who've tried and failed repeatedly to lose weight and keep it off in Billings are now turning to lap band surgery.

Over the last 15 years, Susan Gilbertson has tried all sorts of diets with limited success. Last May,  frustrated and searching for a more permanent solution, she underwent a lap band surgery at St. Vincent Healthcare. Since then, Susan has lost 43 pounds and hopes to lose 45 more.

Gilbertson is quick to point out that lap band surgery is no quick fix. The weight loss is gradual: about a pound or two a week...and it needs to be combined with regular exercise and healthier eating.

"It's a wonderful tool. It's not gonna come off right away...it's something you have to work with" Gilbertson said.

People who undergo lap band surgery lose weight more slowly than those who get gastric bypass surgery.  But  many patients choose it because it's less invasive, with a quicker recovery time.

"There are less complications than bypass, because there's no rerouting of the anatomy" explained Dr. Kathleen Baskett with the St. Vincent Healthcare Weight Management Clinic.

During the outpatient procedure, surgeons laparscopically place a band with a balloon device on the inside around part of the upper stomach.

Silicone tubing connects the band to a port that's placed under the skin in the abdomen wall. And during office visits after the surgery, doctors can add or remove sterile water from the balloon device by accessing the port with a needle.  That adjusts the size of the band.

Susan now exercises regularly, and is so happy with her slow, steady weight loss that her husband plans to undergo the surgery too. 

To find out more about the procedure, you can contact the St. Vincent Healthcare Weight Management Clinic.