The Ins and Outs Of Lap Band Surgery
Controlling weight has become a challenging task due to changes in lifestyle, poor eating habits and lack of exercise.
According to a research by government agencies in the US, about two thirds of adults in the US are overweight and 50% of these individuals are considered obese.
Obesity can lead to adverse health issues including heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Obese individuals have a higher risk of death than individuals with healthy weights.
The popularity of bariatric or Melbourne Fl weight loss surgery has increased in the recent past due to an increase in the number of people with obesity.
Weight loss surgery is recommended for people with a BMI (Body Mass Index) over 35 with associated medical conditions or people with a BMI over 40 without any medical problems.
Bariatric surgery can take the form of Gastric Bypass, Lap Band, or Gastric Sleeve. Gastric Bypass is the most known bariatric surgery procedure because it has been in existence for a long period of time.
In gastric bypass, a surgeon reduces the volume of the stomach. The surgeon achieves this by rerouting the small intestines and creating a small pouch by tacking off the main portion of the stomach.
As a result, food flows through the pouch and bypasses the main part of the stomach into the small intestines where absorption takes place. Gastric bypass promotes weight loss by reducing hunger and restricting food intake. This is an in-patient and irreversible procedure that requires the patient to stay in hospital for 2 to 4 days.
Gastric sleeve surgery is a rapid and long-term weight loss procedure which does not require rerouting of the intestines. In this procedure, the bariatric surgeon removes about 60% of the stomach to create a sleeve of the stomach.
The sleeve limits the amount of food a patient can consume thus leading to significant weight loss. This procedure is minimally invasive and requires an inpatient hospital stay of 1-2 days. Gastric sleeve produces good results during the first year although it has more risks than Lap Band surgery.
Lap Band surgery, or Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, is a reversible and outpatient weight loss procedure. Under this procedure, a surgeon uses minimally invasive techniques to make several tiny cuts or incisions in the belly.
The surgeon then places a camera and tiny surgical tools through the incisions. The surgeon then wraps a silicone gastric band on the upper part of the stomach to create a tiny pouch and a narrow passage to the lower stomach.
The gastric band is attached to an inflatable inner tube which leads to an access port that is placed under the skin. The surgeon can tighten or loosen the band over time to alter the size of the stomach. The tightness of the band affects the amount of food a patient can take and the duration of time the food takes to leave the stomach pouch.
After undergoing lap band surgery, the surgeon may provide pain medication to assist with soreness and discomfort. The surgeon will also give the patient specific instructions on post-surgical diet.
Normally, the patient should take 2 to 4, four-ounce meals daily since the stomach can only handle little amounts of food. After some time, the surgeon will adjust the band in your stomach to tighten it.
The surgeon may make several adjustments to the gastric band to find the appropriate size that will help the patient lose weight. Lap band surgery has several risks, just like other surgeries. Some of the risks include blood clots, risk of bleeding, infection and the gastric band could slip off or fail to work properly. Lap band surgery is beneficial because it is reversible, safer, adjustable, minimally invasive and it does not require an inpatient hospital stay.