What You Need to Know About Lap Band Surgery

Posted on 04. Aug, 2009 by Valerie in Surgical Procedures

Obesity has been on the rise in the United States for quite some time. With the fairly recent push toward health and healthier bodies, procedures to help with obesity have become more readily available. The lap band procedure has become more popular in recent years, and it is even advertised in commercials. However, just what is the surgery? Many people may have plenty of questions.

What is a lap band procedure? The term lap band is actually short for laparoscopic banding. A saline filled, adjustable band is placed around the upper area of the stomach through laparoscopic surgery. Then, the band is adjusted to control the opening of the stomach. This, in turn, controls how much food the stomach can hold.

The procedure is done with small incisions and tiny cameras, so that the healing process is much quicker. In the past, surgeries required staples or bypasses. With the lap band procedure, none of the severely invasive methods has to be used.

The band is adjustable. What does that mean? Since the band is filled with saline, it can be made looser or tighter in the future. This is important since the doctors cannot guarantee that it will be exactly right in the beginning.

A small shunt is left under the skin leading to the band so that saline can be added or removed in the future.

How does the band make a person lose weight? When the band is in place, it limits the amount of food that the stomach can hold. When the stomach is made smaller, it takes less time to become full. This is why the band may have to be adjusted at a later time.
Most people who have the lap band placed will lose about two pounds a week, which is a healthy weight loss regime.

What can a person with a lap band eat? While the patient will not want to eat as much in the first place, it is important to not overeat since this can make them nauseous. It can also stretch the band.

It is recommended that solid foods be eaten three times a day. Solid foods stay in the stomach longer, so they make a person feel full quicker. It is also suggested that the patient does not drink anything while they eat.

Of course, the patient should follow a healthy diet that includes protein, fruits and vegetables. A healthy diet should be followed with or without the lap band.