Lap Band Surgery: What To Expect
Lap band surgery is a technique that makes it easier for people to eat less and thus loose weight. Of the most common barriatric procedures, this one is probably the most simple. Patients tend to appreciate it for its flexibility. The procedure works on the principle that when food is sensed in the top portion of your stomach, a signal is sent to your brain that you're full. Lap banding is where a band is placed around the top portion of your stomach. Inside this band is a small balloon which allows for adjustment. When food enters the stomach of someone who's had this procedure done, it fills up the stomach a lot faster than usual. When the upper part of the stomach senses that it's full, it sends an “I'm full” signal to the brain, and the brain starts to treat food with indifference. The surgeon can adjust the band, by adjusting the amount of saline solution pumped into it. Once the desired inflation is achieved, it squeezes the stomach which shrinks it and restricts the movement of food. It takes less than an hour for the entire procedure, and the surgery is minimally invasive. There's only a few incisions made in the abdomen for the laparoscope to fit into. A Laparoscope is a small camera attached to a small tube that is inserted into your abdominal cavity. Your cavity is pumped with CO2 and expanded like a balloon so the surgeon can see what's going on in there. Through a video screen. The other surgical tools are inserted with an airtight tube. The patient will need several follow-up visits to adjust the band to the correct setting. This is mostly determined by the patient. Lap banding is entirely reversible, and in fact it is the only barriatric surgery that is reversible. It's possible to remove the band later if need-be. With other types of procedures it isn't possible to reverse the changes, for instance with Lap Rny where portions of the stomach are removed. A systematic review concluded "LAGB has been shown to produce a significant loss of excess weight while maintaining low rates of short-term complications and reducing obesity-related comorbidities. LAGB may not result in the most weight loss but it may be an option for bariatric patients who prefer or who are better suited to undergo less invasive and reversible surgery with lower perioperative complication rates. One caution with LAGB is the uncertainty about whether the low complication rate extends past three years, given a possibility of increased band-related complications (e.g., erosion, slippage) requiring re-operation" So without getting into some of the post-op stuff like diet, exercise, and other topics, that's the gist. As with any medical procedure you should seek to get as much information as possible ahead of time. Consult your doctor or two. Although it's reversible, it's still surgery and it should be taken seriously.
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