 |
What is the LAP-BAND® System?
The LAP-BAND® System is an adjustable gastric band designed to help you lose excess body weight, improve weight-related health conditions, and enhance quality of life.
How does the LAP-BAND® System work?
The LAP-BAND® System is a silicone ring designed to be placed around the upper part of the stomach and filled with saline on its inner surface. This creates a new, smaller stomach pouch that can hold only a small amount of food, so the food storage area in the stomach is reduced. The band also controls the stoma (stomach outlet) between the new upper food pouch and the lower part of the stomach. When the stoma is smaller, you feel full faster, while the food moves more slowly between your upper and lower stomach as it is digested. As a result, you eat less and lose weight.
How is the LAP-BAND® System different from gastric bypass surgery?
Unlike gastric bypass surgery, the LAP-BAND® System procedure does not require stomach cutting and stapling or gastrointestinal rerouting to bypass normal digestion.
How much weight will I lose?
Weight-loss results vary from patient to patient. A weight loss of two to three pounds a week in the first year after the operation is possible, but one pound a week is more likely. Twelve to eighteen months after the operation, weekly weight loss is usually less. But remember that you should lose weight gradually. Losing weight too quickly creates a health risk and can lead to a number of problems. The main goal is to have weight loss that prevents, improves, or resolves health problems connected with severe obesity.
When will I start to see results?
Individual weight loss results vary but if you follow the general nutritional guidelines, you should expect to lose about 1 to 2 pounds every week on average over the first year.
Will I feel deprived or hungry?
If you follow the nutritional guidelines when you choose your food and chew it well, you should not feel hungry or deprived.
Will I be able to eat whatever I want?
You may eat most foods that don't cause you discomfort. However, because you can only eat a little at any given time, it is important to include foods rich in important vitamins and nutrients — foods such as those recommended by your surgeon and/or dietitian.
Why is the LAP-BAND® System considered adjustable?
Once placed around the stomach, tubing connects the LAP-BAND® System to an access port beneath the skin of your abdomen. This allows the surgeon to change the stoma (stomach outlet) size by adding or subtracting saline, or salt water, inside the inner balloon through the access port. Adjustments are performed without any additional surgery.
Does the LAP-BAND® System limit physical activity?
No. The LAP-BAND® System does not limit or himper physical activity. You should be able to do everything from simple stretches to strenuous exercises. In fact, exercise should become a regular part of your postsurgical routine. Remember, the LAP-BAND® System is simply a tool that helps you lose weight — diet and exercise are still required. Always check with your doctor about the amount and type of exercise that is best for you.
What happens during the surgery?
During the procedure, surgeons usually use laparoscopic techniques (making tiny incisions rather than a large incision and inserting long-shafted instruments through "ports") to wrap the LAP-BAND® System around the patient's stomach. A narrow camera is passed through a port so that the surgeon can view the operative site on a nearby video monitor. Like a wristwatch, the band is fastened around the upper stomach to create the new stomach pouch that limits and controls the amount of food you eat. The band is then locked securely in a ring around the stomach.
How long does the surgery take?
If LAP-BAND® System surgery is performed laparoscopically, as it most frequently is, patients typically spend less than 24 hours in the hospital. It takes most patients about a week before they can return to work, and a month to six weeks before they can resume exercising. In the case of open surgery, or if there are complications, recovery may take longer.
Who is eligible for the LAP-BAND® System?
The LAP-BAND® System can help adults, at least 18 years old, who are 100 pounds over their ideal weight or have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or greater. People with a BMI of 35 or greater with weight-related health problems may also be eligible for the LAP-BAND® System. Talk to your doctor to find out if the LAP-BAND® System is right for you.
Where can I find more information?
Make a consultation appointment with our LAP-BAND® System surgeon Dr. Thomas Chua MD, visit the LAP-BAND® System Web Site at www.lapband.com, or call 1-800-LAP-BAND.
To learn more, please contact us today.
www.lapband.com
www.wisconsinbariatrics.com
This information reprinted with permission by ALLERGAN.
|
|
 |
|
Knowledge is Power:
Learn more about your upcoming procedure with our easy-to-understand educational animations. See more...
|
|
|
|
