What You Should Know About Getting Lap Band Surgery

Posted on: 4 August 2020

If you are trying to lose weight and are thinking about weight-loss surgery, it can be easy to get confused and overwhelmed with all of the options available to you. One of those options is the lap band surgical procedure. Get to know some of the important facts about getting lap band surgery. Then, you can be sure you make the right weight-loss surgery decision for you and your weight-loss needs. 

What Is Lap Band Surgery?

The lap band procedure involves the surgeon placing a gastric band, which is like a ring that is adjustable, around the upper portion of your stomach. It is done using very small incisions, which can help to minimize recovery time from surgery. This procedure is also known as laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, or LAGB for short. 

The lap band effectively creates a smaller stomach area out of the upper portion of the stomach. This makes it so a person feels full faster and cannot eat as much in general. The food also passes more slowly to the intestines, increasing that sense of fullness for longer. 

Who Is a Good Candidate for Lap Band Surgery?

Not everyone is an ideal candidate for lap band surgery. If a person is not significantly overweight or considered obese, for example, they are likely not a good candidate for this procedure. This is an obesity-related surgery and should only be performed on people mildly overweight if they have exacerbating conditions along with that extra weight like blood pressure problems. 

A patient who uses drugs or alcohol, does not understand the ramifications of the procedure, or is otherwise unstable may also not be a good candidate for a LAGB procedure. This is because a person needs to be willing to put in the work to be and stay healthy after the procedure and this requires a certain level of commitment and understanding of the procedure. 

What Are the Benefits of Lap Band Surgery Over Other Options?

There are many ways that a lap band procedure is preferable to other weight-loss surgeries. One of the factors to consider is that this is a laparoscopic procedure. This means that the incisions are tiny. Tiny incisions have a lower risk of becoming infected during the healing process. 

Additionally, laparoscopic incisions heal faster and cause less pain than larger incisions in the abdomen. This means there is less need for pain medication and extended hospitalizations and that the recovery time is shorter. 

The lap band is also adjustable. This means that the surgeon can tighten it if necessary after surgery. This can be done without making new incisions as there is a port attached to the lap band. The lap band is also removable. 

Now that you know more about getting lap band surgery, you can talk to your doctor about the procedure and get your surgery scheduled as soon as possible. 

Share