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What is Lap-Band Weight Loss Surgery?

Obese people often fight their whole lives trying to lose weight. Exercise and diet does not always help everyone. Some people need more drastic options for losing weight. For people looking to lose a considerable amount of weight, the Lap-Band weight loss surgery is one option. The Lap-Band is highly recommended and is one of the newest forms of weight loss surgery.

Both doctors and patients often prefer the Lap-Band weight loss surgery when treating obesity. Those who are experiencing obesity often have other health issues that can be life threatening. Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart conditions and sleep apnea are all related to obesity. Because the Lap-Band weight loss surgery is less invasive, which means that doctors are able to make a smaller incision. This leads to fewer traumas to the body and a quicker recovery time.

During this surgery, the patient is put under general anesthesia and the surgeon places a silicone elastomer ring around the upper part of the stomach. The silicone ring is then filled with saline to create a new small stomach. The amount of food that is allowed in the stomach is reduced because of the new smaller stomach created by the ring. The body does not feel hungry because the stomach is full. When less food is consumed, the body is able to draw on fat reserves to get the energy it needs. As a result, weight is lost more quickly.

During the Lap-Band weight loss surgery, patients are put under general anesthesia. The Lap-Band ring is then placed laparoscopically and this is considered minimally invasive. The surgeon will begin the surgery by making small incisions, called ports, in the abdomen wall for the insertion of the surgical instruments. A small camera is passed through the incision to aid the surgeon while the surgery is performed. The band is then wrapped around the upper half of the stomach and then locked securely in a ring. After the surgery, the band is usually left empty and not filled with saline for the first four to six weeks.


There are several advantages of the band weight loss surgery.

Because the surgery is performed laparoscopically, the surgery is less invasive, making the healing time after the surgery much shorter. With other weight loss surgeries, the intestines are re-routed and the stomach is either cut or stapled. This is not so with the Lap-Band weight loss surgery. This surgery also gives the patients less scarring and less pain than trauma than other weight loss surgeries.

The Lap-Band system is often preferred over other methods because it is adjustable. This allows the doctor to use individualized degrees of restriction for long-term weight loss. The stomach band can be easily adjusted without additional hospital time or additional surgeries. Also, patients who have the Lap-Band surgery can become pregnant because it allows the stomach outlet size to be open to adjust the new nutritional needs. Both patients and doctors often prefer the Lap-Band weight loss surgery system because it is a safer alternative to other surgeries of this kind.

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