Lap-Band Surgery
Lap-Band Diet
After Surgery
Ongoing Care
Choosing a Surgeon
Medicare/Medicaid
Lap-Band Financing
Weight loss with the Lap-Band is at a safe and steady rate. The average weight loss with Lap-Band Surgery is about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds per week. The average Lap-Band patient will lose an estimated 50% of his or her excess weight within the first year.
Consumer Guide to LAP-BAND® Surgery
LAP-BAND® Surgery
LAP-BAND® surgery is a topic that has been given a great deal of attention in the past few years. When it comes to bariatric surgery, also called weight loss surgery, LAP-BAND® surgery is perhaps one of the most frequently cited types of surgery. For this reason, it is good to describe different aspects regarding this weight loss surgery and help individuals to learn a bit more about the procedure. By learning about the LAP-BAND® surgery it may aid individuals in deciding if the surgery might be the appropriate route to take with regard to weight loss.
The LAP-BAND® limits the amount of food that can be eaten at any one time and helps control hunger.
What is LAP-BAND® Surgery?
LAP-BAND® Surgery is the process of placing a prosthesis known as the LAP-BAND® around the upper stomach to create a smaller stomach pouch that in turn limits the amount of food an individual can fit into their stomach. LAP-BAND® surgery (a bariatric surgery procedure) was approved by the FDA in 2001 and gained increasing popularity in the weight loss world from that point forward. The procedure itself is minimally invasive as lap band surgeons enter the stomach region via small incisions and use surgical instruments to insert the LAP-BAND®. The main reason for having the surgery performed is so that the individual having it done will not only lose weight but keep the weight off as well. This is a new method that is recommended for those individuals who experience morbid obesity and have tried to lose the weight but have failed in their attempts to lose the weight and keep it off.
How Does the LAP-BAND® Work?
The LAP-BAND® works by decreasing the size of the stomach pouch. By doing so, individuals will be able to eat to a certain point and then they will be full. Individuals feel full much more quickly as their stomach is a smaller size than what it was prior to the surgery. After lap band surgery, eating habits will change and individuals will follow lap band diet guidelines. In addition, the LAP-BAND® creates a small stomach outlet which significantly slows down the emptying process from the stomach into the intestines. Both of these factors act together in order to aid the individual in their weight loss goals.
Who Qualifies for LAP-BAND® Surgery?
The LAP-BAND® procedure may not be appropriate for all individuals who wish to lose weight. Some individuals may be more receptive to the LAP-BAND® treatment than others would be. There are certain individuals who may be eligible for the surgery such as those who are 18 years of age or older, have a BMI of 40 or higher or weigh at least twice their ideal weight, have been overweight for over five years, do not have any disease which could have brought on the obesity and countless attempts to lose weight have not met with real success. The previously mentioned items are just a few factors that individuals may possess which may make them candidates for surgery.
On the other hand, there are certain individuals whom surgery may not be appropriate for due to certain qualities they possess. For example, individuals who have an inflammatory disease or disease of the GI tract, those who have a disease that makes them a bad candidate for surgery of any kind or individuals which have one of numerous types of stomach problems are just a few of the people for whom LAP-BAND® surgery may not be an option. These are just a few of the types of individuals who may be best suited for other types of weight loss programs.