Lap Band Surgery Explained

Millions of Americans struggle with their weight, and a significant amount are fighting against obesity. With the fast food epidemic, less exercise and more convenience, the hardier constitutions of people one hundred years ago are few and far between. Because obesity is not only depressing, but also a health risk, weight loss surgeries and procedures are sometimes the only option in order to live a healthy lifestyle. Of all of these procedures, lap band surgery is the least evasive and the most popular.

Lap band surgery (a.k.a. obesity surgery, laparoscopic banding, gastric banding) is a procedure that is steadily growing in popularity and has currently been performed on more than 200,000 patients worldwide. It is considered relatively safe, and can solve obesity problems that have been lifelong struggles.

Designed to help patients struggling with “morbid obesity”, lab band surgery was first conceived more than fifty years ago, starting with a procedure called the jejunoileal bypass, progressing through the gastric bypass faze and into the world of lap band surgery, and is not performed with a laparoscopic technique.

Rather than a liposuction, which surgically removes fatty tissue, many patients choose lap band surgery as a restrictive procedure with far fewer complications. The procedure involves implanting an inflatable silicon band around the upper part of the stomach, which will restrict the appetite of the patient and assist in weight loss. This procedure can be easily reversed, and doesn’t involve the painful processes of stapling or stomach rerouting which are common in other weight loss surgeries.

The effects of lap band surgery are actually two-fold. First, the band will make sure that the patient feels full after eating only a small portion of food, decreasing the possibility of overeating. Further, the band will also help the patient to stay full for several hours at a time, which will discourage between-meal snacking.