Description and reviews of 96 diets and weight loss methods.
|
|
|
Search this site:
|
Lap Band
What is a Lap Band
The Lap Band System is an adjustable gastric band which is surgically inserted into the body. An adjustable gastric band is - simply - a silicone belt attached to the upper portion of the stomach, which creates a small sack where only a small amount of food can be stored.
Having severely limited your stomach capacity, you will be eating and filling up on far smaller portions than you were before - which translates to weight loss.
The Lap Band itself is a silicone ring filled with saline, which will connect to a port which is placed in the muscular lining of your abdomen. This is where the adjustability comes in - your doctor accesses the port with a syringe to inflate or deflate the band. Injecting more saline into the port inflates the band, tightening it up and making the small sack smaller - which further restricts food intake and accelerates weight loss. Saline can also be removed through the port - loosening up the band and expanding your stomach's capacity to hold food.
The baseline requirement for Lap-Band surgery - the same as for any weight loss surgery - is a BMI of 40 or above. Lap Band surgery can be approved for persons with a BMI between 35 and 39, but only if they suffer associated severe medical conditions - i.e. diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol. Surgery of course requires admission to the hospital, and anesthesia. The surgery is laparoscopic - which is a minimally invasive procedure where your surgeon performs a series of small incisions and uses a small camera (laparoscope) to guide placement of the band onto the top of your stomach, and secure it in place with sutures. The Lap Band port is then inserted into the muscular lining of your abdomen. The surgery generally takes about an hour, and an overnight in the hospital will be dependent on your medical condition.
Post-surgery you need a good week of recovery before attempting to return to your life. You'll also be instructed to follow a nutrition plan prescribed by your doctor. The nutrition plans generally start with a liquid diet for the first few weeks, until such time as you're able to tolerate soft foods - and ultimately solid foods. An exercise program and behavioral modification therapy are also prescribed. You'll be making frequent visits to your doctor's office - on average, patients require six to eight adjustments of the band during the first 18 months after their surgeries, and the adjustments must be made by your doctor or his assistant. Statistics indicate that patients typically lose 50% to 60% of excess body weight within two years of the surgery, but note that additional plastic surgery may be necessary, depending on how much weight is lost.
The Lap Band is not meant to be in you for life - at some point it will need to be removed and you will be on your own to maintain your weight with a normal sized stomach.
|
|