What is lapband surgery?

Maybe you have heard of lapband surgery or maybe not. Actually lapband gastric surgery simply put is a method to squeeze the stomach so that you would feel fuller and not eat as much. The surgery is less invasive, I guess, than Gastic bypass but is still full of complications and often needs to be either adjusted or removed althogether.

In a surgical procedure, the band is placed around the upper part of the stomach, creating a small pouch that can hold only a small amount of food. The narrowed opening between the stomach pouch and the rest of the stomach controls how quickly food passes from the pouch to the lower part of the stomach. The system helps the patient eat less by limiting the amount of food that can be eaten at one time and increasing the time it takes for food to be digested.

Depending on the patient’s needs, after the device is implanted the narrowed opening between the pouch and the lower part of the stomach can be adjusted in size by inflating or deflating the hollow band. Inflating the band makes the opening smaller, causing food to pass more slowly. Deflating the band makes it wider, causes food to pass more quickly. This adjustment is made by adding or removing fluid inside the hollow band. The doctor does this by injecting or removing the fluid through a small button-like part called the access port. This access port is placed under the skin in a muscle in the chest wall. The port is connected to the band by the tubing.

When is lapband surgery used?

The system is used for weight loss in severely obese adults who have been obese for at least five years and for whom non-surgical weight loss methods have not been successful. They must be willing to make major changes in their eating habits and lifestyle. Patients must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 40, a BMI of at least 35 with one or more severe morbid (unhealthy) conditions, or be at least 100 pounds over their estimated ideal weight.

When should lapband surgery not be used?

It should not be used for people who are poor candidates for surgery, have certain stomach or intestinal disorders, have an infection, have to take aspirin frequently, or are addicted to alcohol or drugs. It should not be used on patients who are not able or willing to follow the rules for eating and exercise that are recommended by the doctor after surgery.

What are the risks of lapband surgery?

Most patients experienced at least one side effect. Common side effects include nausea and vomiting, heartburn, abdominal pain, and slippage of the band. The most serious side effects required either another operation or hospitalization.

What will lapband surgery accomplish?

It may help the patient lose weight. In the U.S. study, the average weight loss was 36% of a patient’s excess weight three years after the device was implanted. More than half of the patients lost at least 25% of their excess weight; some patients lost over 75%, but some lost no weight.

So how do I really feel about lapband surgery? Well for starters this is designed for people that need to lose a lot of weight, probably over 100 pounds. If you need to lose a lot of weight than you need to eat better and exercise more. In the rare case that diet and exercise do not work than lapband surgery is probably a better alternative as I look at in than Gastic Bypass surgery although only a doctor can really help you decide.

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