The Bariatric gastric lap band which is typically acknowledged more fully as the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band, is an exceedingly useful aid to help you reduce the level of food you eat. It basically performs like a belt around the top portion of your stomach, producing a small pouch. You will feel full after eating only a very small volume of food. This feeling of fullness will continue to be with you, and you will feel satisfied eating three quite small meals a day.
The Gastric Lap Band has been utilized since about 1984 in its present form. It affords several major advantages:
•It is truly adjustable. The adjustability of the lap band gives you and your surgeon control to achieve weight loss without creating too many unpleasant symptoms due to the amount of restriction.
•It is placed laparoscopically. For most patients this means they can get back to work very quickly after the operation with a relatively short recovery period.
•It is reversible. Taking out the band would revert the stomach to its natural size and you would expect to gain weight again in the usual way.
Weight regain is quite possible with ANY weight loss operation including the very radical operations that in the first instance result in amazing weight loss. World Health Organisation recommendation for monthly weight loss is ½ to 1 kilograms per week and lap patients can often lose this, however this is very variable, and in accordance with the person, their personal situation, their motivational attitude and their personal mobility.
Ulceration Gastritis Erosion – the band can on very rare occasions wear and aggravate a small area on the outside of the stomach which can then, in some cases, lead to migration of the band to the inside the stomach. This however is a very rare occurrence and usually warning signs are noticeable well in advance this ever happening.
In general terms the gastric band offers an easy, manageable method of weight loss surgery for the masses at a relatively reasonable cost to both the surgeon and the client which is why it is such a popular procedure. There are alternatives to this procedure such as the gastric sleeve, the gastric balloon, and for the morbidly obese the ultimate method is the gastric ByPass.
The Lap band is now one of the most popular Obesity surgery options because Surgeons find it easy to Manage on a patient by patient basis. To find our more about Lap band we recommend visiting our Bariatric Surgery Clinics information website
