More and more people are turning to surgical methods to help them lose weight. As with anything in the world of medical science, tools and techniques are being constantly added and changed. This is why, today, there are many different forms of weight loss surgery available. One of these methods is the gastric bypass, also known as the the lap-band procedure. With the lap-band, the stomach is effectively divided so that food intake can be regulated.
About Lap-Ban Surgery
Many surgeons believe that the best weight loss surgery is the lap-band. The treatment itself often takes no more than 40 minutes to complete, which is very short. However, not everybody is taken into consideration for this surgery. First of all, a patient’s BMI has to be high enough to be considered. A surgeon will also look at a person’s eating habits, whether they have existing medical conditions and whether any part of their psychology affects their habits on a day to day basis. For instance, people with depression or anxiety often overeat, a problem that must also be addressed if weight loss surgery is to be successful.
Another reason why the lap-band is such a popular procedure is because the band can be loosened or tightened depending on the requirements of the patient. If someone were to lose too much weight, or not enough, the band can be adjusted. Other methods, however, include the bariatric lap band and the gastrectomy. Neither of these are adjustable, however.
In most cases, a patient has to have a BMI of 40 or over in order to be considered, unless they have health conditions caused by being overweight. In that case, their BMI has to be at least 35. If a BMI is less than 35, it is very rare for a surgeon to agree to do the procedure. If they do agree, however, it will almost always be through a lap-band.
The procedure is very quick, as is recovery time. Furthermore, it leaves almost no scare behind. Additionally, recovery time tends to be very quick. However, with a lap-band, progress is often slow, not in the least because it is very easy to overeat or ‘cheat’ on a physician’s care plan.
The lap-band is not suitable for those who have a duodenal ulcer or who have issues with their alimentary tract. If they do, these issues must be addressed before they are able to be considered for surgery. Interestingly, in most of these cases, patients must lose weight naturally first at which point they often believe they can continue on that path without turning to surgery at all.
One of the reasons why patients often choose the lap-band over other forms of surgery is because the side effects are far less significant. There is generally no nausea, vomiting, weakness, cramps or dumping. In most cases, all they notice is that they can’t eat at much. However, unless they are 100% committed to losing weight, it is also all too easy to relapse with this type of surgery.