LAP-BAND Surgery - General Information on Weight Loss Options

Obesity is nothing to laugh about. Millions of people around the world suffer from having too much weight on their body, and they also have to deal with a variety of other health issues that stem from their condition, such as heart problems, diabetes, and sleep apnea. These problems can generally all be helped by losing weight, but people who are obese often have a difficult time shedding excess pounds. One way to help obese people do this is through the LAP-BAND system.

The LAP-BAND system is an adjustable gastric band that is designed to help people suffering from obesity lose weight. Basically, it is a silicone belt that goes around the top of the stomach. The belt is actually connected to a port which saline can then be poured into. This helps contract the belt to make it tighter. The tighter the belt, the more difficult it is to get food into the body, which helps to facilitate weight loss. The looser the belt, the more food can pass through.

Unlike other forms of weight loss surgery, which are permanent and cannot be adjusted, the LAP-BAND system can be altered after it is put into the body. This not only enables patients to lose weight faster and reverse their obesity, but it also is helpful if they are becoming malnourished. In these instances, the doctor is able to deflate the band a bit to allow more food to enter the body and reverse the signs of malnourishment.

There are always risks and complications to any surgery, and the LAP-BAND procedure is no different. Risks include bleeding and infection, but more serious is the possibility that the band may slip due to weight loss, which can cause heartburn or vomiting. This can easily be fixed laprascopically. Most patients need to have six to eight adjustments of their LAP-BAND over 18 months, and most often lose between 50 percent and 60 percent of their excess body weight within just two years of the procedure. Patients can normally return to work within one week, but will need to follow a strict diet that will be provided by a nutritionist.