Is Lap Band Surgery for You?
All your life you’ve fought it, but you’ve never been able to win the fight. You can’t stand looking in the mirror or going out shopping for clothes. Just looking at food makes you gain weight.
Obesity. Everywhere you turn, you hear about fad diets, exercise programs, special pills and foods to help you lose weight. You’ve tried everything, and still, you remain fat. Maybe you’ve recently seen a television program on something called lap band surgery and want to know what it is and if it’s something you might consider for yourself.
Lap band surgery was first standardized in Europe in the 1990s.
“The laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding device squeezes closed the upper allotment of the stomach with an inflatable belt. Patients quickly feel beefy after eating a little. Lap Band is the abbreviated and trademarked combination of Lap (from laparoscopic) and Band (from gastric band)” reports www.laparoscopicsurgeon-online.com.
“Called the Lap-Band adjustable gastric banding system, the device consists of a silicone band that cuffs tightly around the upper stomach to create a small gastric pouch. The belt restricts how remarkable a patient can consume, and patients quickly feel paunchy after eating a slight,” said Namir Katkhouda, a professor of surgery, who performed the first laparoscopic procedure at USC University Hospital in 2001. The Food and Drug Administration approved lap band surgery serve in 2001, and many obese individuals have been helped since.
Lap band surgery requires no cutting of the stomach. In fact, the draw moves rather quickly. Small incisions are made into the skin, and then the lap bands are placed into the body through the incision. The procedure only takes around an hour and the patient get to return home the following day. The Health Science Campus website reports that lap band surgery requires “less recovery time, fewer painkilling drugs and less equipment than in open procedures. It also poses less risk of complications.”
Lap band surgery can be reversed by removing the lap band from the body of the patient. Typically those who have had this surgery can lose up to 55 percent of their excess weight within two years. The surgery can cost around $15,000, but that is still less than other procedures that can cost an additional $3,000 to $5,000. Unfortunately, because the blueprint is relatively new, insurance coverage may depend on the insurance carrier.
Are there risks associated with this scheme?
Although medical doctors report risks associated with lap band surgery to be minimal, some risks do still exist. Mostly these risks have to do with whether or not the patient follows a doctor’s instructions. Erosion of the band can occur with use of alcohol, spices, and certain types of medications. Also, slippage of the band is common. This can happen if the person eats too much food, causing the band to move or slip. Surgery is then required to fix it. Infection can occur as well, just as with any surgical procedure.
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Filed under Gastric Banding by on Oct 1st, 2010. 
A gastric sleeve operation removes approximately 60 percent of your stomach so that it becomes a tube or sleeve instead of a sack. This draw has numerous advantages over other gastric procedures that help you lose weight. Some of these advantages include the lack of foreign objects, supplements, and hunger. This article will discuss some of the advantages of a gastric sleeve operation.
Hunger
One of the first advantages of a gastric sleeve is its ability to control hunger. During the operation, 60 percent of your stomach is removed, instead of being left in place like other procedures. This also removes most of the hormones in the stomach that are responsible for producing the sensation of hunger that you feel.
Foreign Objects
Another advantage of a gastric sleeve is that no foreign objects are left in your body. The gastric banding design leaves a number of objects that can lead to complications. The band may slip, erode, or become infected and can cause serious problems. The gastric sleeve operation has none of these complications associated with foreign objects.
Supplements
A gastric bypass requires an intestinal bypass. This can lead to protein and vitamin deficiency and force you to assume special vitamins and supplements to get the nutrition you need. A gastric sleeve doesn’t require an intestinal bypass. Therefore, it is much less likely for you to have to take these special vitamins and supplements.
Function
A gastric sleeve operation reduces the volume of your stomach. Although your stomach will be smaller, it will still be able to function normally. You will mild be able to eat most of the foods you have always eaten, although you will have to eat them in smaller amounts.
Weight Loss
One of the last advantages of a gastric sleeve is weight loss. The weight loss you experience happens much faster than some of the other procedures such as gastric banding. Most patients lose between 40-60% of excess weight within two years of the operation.
These are some of the advantages of a gastric sleeve operation. Since a large portion of the stomach is removed, the hormones that stimulate the sensation of hunger are also removed. Also, a gastric sleeve will not leave foreign objects in your body that can cause numerous complications. You likely won’t need to take special vitamins and supplements either since an intestinal bypass is not required for the procedure.
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Filed under Gastric Banding by on Aug 1st, 2010.