LAP-BANDŽ Program
Mercy Hospital & Medical Center
LAP-BANDŽ.
Why Should I choose Mercy?
Expertise: Mercy is a leader in LAP-BANDŽ weight loss surgery, performing the most procedures in the state of Illinois. That makes our surgeon and team the most experienced, bringing an unparalleled level of knowledge and skill to our patients.
Leading-edge techniques such as Laparo-Endoscopic Single Site Surgery (LESS) and Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banded Plication. LESS is a technique that leaves no visible scars on the abdomen. Gastric Banded Plication is an investigational procedure that has been shown to result in greater excess weight loss within the first year of surgery with minimal need for adjustments.
Our Team: Mercy's multi-disciplinary program includes an expert team of clinicians including our surgeon, a Physician Assistant/Program Coordinator, Registered Dietician, Psychiatrist, Medical Assistants and a Program Manager —all dedicated to helping you experience long-term, permanent weight loss.
Our Quality and Commitment: Mercy's Lap-Band Program is committed to helping you live well again, offering the lifetime support needed for your success. That's one of the reasons Mercy was recently named an Aetna Institute of Quality Bariatric Surgery Facility.
Meet our Surgeon and Presenters
Rami A. Lutfi, MD is Medical Director of Mercy’s LAP-BANDŽ Program. He earned his medical degree at Damascus University School of Medicine, Syria followed by an internship and residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Lutfi then completed a clinical fellowship in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery and research fellowship in foregut disorders and obesity at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Lutfi has published multiple peer-reviewed articles in leading medical journals and has written several chapters for medical textbooks. Most recently, Dr. Lutfi was among the first in the nation to offer the single-incision surgery and gastric plication with the band. Prior to joining Mercy, Dr. Lutfi was the Medical Director for the Chicago Bariatric Institute at Weiss Memorial Hospital. Dr. Lutfi is board certified in surgery, fellowship trained in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery, and certified to perform robotic assisted surgery.