Diamond woman cast in weight-loss commercial

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JOLIET - A recent surgical patient at Silver Cross Hospital was cast in a new commercial promoting the Realiz Adjustable Gastric Band, made by Ethicon. The Realize Adjustable Gastric Band is 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. The band was FDA approved in October 2007. Miranda Blazekovich, 32, of Diamond, had been overweight for 10 to 12 years. “I could not get the weight off. My dad died when he was 55 of a heart attack; I take after him, and I didn't want to die at 55. I have two young kids,” said Blazekovich. Dr. Christopher Joyce and Dr. Brian Lahmann, both specializing in Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Silver Cross Hospital, are two of only 40 physicians in the country teaching the Realize band for bariatric surgery. Blazekovich had heard of Dr. Joyce through a few of her patients. After attending one of the free bariatric surgery seminars offered at the hospital, she realized it was something she was very interested in. On Feb. 12, Dr. Joyce performed her procedure. Dr. Joyce performed the first gastric surgery in Illinois using a Realize band at Silver Cross Hospital on Nov. 6, 2007. It was also among the first in the Midwest, following two bands that had been placed in Minneapolis one-week prior. During the procedure, the surgeon creates small incisions in the abdomen to insert surgical instruments and a camera. Then, a band is wrapped around the stomach and tightened to create two chambers - a small upper stomach with a narrow opening to a lower stomach. Once the band is in place, surgeons attach a Realize Injection Port to the abdominal wall underneath the skin. This allows doctors to inject or remove saline to tighten or loosen the band using a small needle. The surgery can be done in less than 30 minutes, therefore decreasing the amount of time under anesthesia. Post-surgery adjustments are then made based on the patient's individual needs. “Everybody at the hospital was wonderful. Everyone was really nice and supportive, from the moment I walked through the doors to the moment I walked back out,” said Blazekovich. “I always go to Silver Cross among other hospitals when I have a choice.” A few months later, Blazekovich received an e-mail from Dr. Joyce's office saying Ethicon - the company that makes the Realize Band, was casting for a commercial, and asked if anyone would like to give them their information. “I went through a few auditions, and was eventually cast for the part,” she said. Blazekovich's role in the commercial is to act as a patient talking to her doctor. “My part showed how trust is such an important part of the whole surgical process,” she said. The commercial first aired Monday June 9, and is airing on cable networks now. It can also be viewed on the Realize Band Website, www.realizeband.com. Blazekovich has lost 55 pounds since her surgery in February. “It has been a great tool,” she said of the procedure. “I realized that I am an emotional eater, and this procedure has helped me control that emotional eating. “The more weight you start losing, the more confidence you get. It's definitely the best decision I've ever made.” To learn more about the Realize band, attend a free informational session any Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Specialty Care Pavilion on the Silver Cross Hospital campus, 1300 Copperfield Ave., Joliet. Register to attend at www.silvercross.org or call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325). The bariatric surgery team at Silver Cross Hospital is led by Dr. Christopher Joyce, who performed the first traditional and laparoscopic gastric bypass surgeries in the far southwest suburbs. Since 2003, Dr. Joyce and his partner, Dr. Brian Lahmann, have performed over 1,000 weight-loss surgeries. They have also led the hospital's program to be one of only six in Illinois - and the only bariatric surgery program in the region - that has been recognized as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgeons.