Lapband Surgery Facts And Information

By Matthew Hall


Over a period of time, obesity has continued to be a concern for many people. While the use of lifestyle modification is the most important treatment mode, the use of surgery has become popular with time. One of the most important surgical procedures is called gastric banding, also known as lapband surgery. A number of useful tips will help one to know what to expect from the procedure.

It is a surgical procedure which involves placement of an adjustable belt round the upper sections of the stomach through the use of a laparoscope. The band is usually made from silicone and is able to be tightened through addition of saline to fill the band. This band is connected to some port which is placed under skin of the abdomen. The port is used for introduction or removal of the saline into the band.

The main aim of the procedure is for restricting size of your stomach and also the amount of food that it is able to hold. It also gets to slow down passage of food into intestines. By doing this, signals will be sent to the brain by the gut to give the sensation of fullness, which makes one eat less. The signal is sent from the small pouch created by the the band at upper sections of the stomach. When this pouch is full, there is sending of a signal that is sent to the brain.

The procedure happens under full general anesthesia and will take between one and two hours. It is performed using laparoscopic technique which involves making between 3 to 5 very minute incisions. The incisions are approximately 1 inch in length. The surgeon will insert a small camera into one of the incisions to view the procedure on a screen. The camera is attached to a tube. The remaining incisions will allow for use of surgical instruments and placement of the band.

Proper preparation for the procedure is important. Depending on your surgeon or the program, preparation varies. Most institutions will want to see commitment from their patients as regards lifestyle changes. This should be before the surgical procedure. The patient may be required to start eating 5 to 6 small meals daily for preparation of changes ahead. They will be required to keep off high calorie foods like milk shakes or ice cream.

Recovery varies from one individual to the next. Generally however, the procedure offers relatively shorter hospitalization period and much quicker recovery. Actually, many people will be able to get back to normal work within a week. This is possible if the work is not so demanding. Normal activities can resume after 6 weeks.

After the procedure, one may feel some pain and discomfort but this is easily controlled using medications. After between 6 to 8 weeks, normal activities can resume. The weight loss will be gradual. In the beginning, the loss of weight might be more dramatic but this slows down after a while. Average weight loss will be 40 percent of excess body weight.

There are a number of expected side effects. They include vomiting, nausea and dehydration. There might also be ulceration at the band. Some patients experience regain of weight.




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