LAP-BAND® System Surgery

Before your surgery, talk about the procedure in detail with your surgeon. Your doctor may also want you to meet with other experts who can help you understand what will happen during and after the operation. These experts might include:

• A dietitian
  
• A physiotherapist
• A psychologist
• Other specialists

You will also have a number of tests before your surgery to evaluate your health. When it is time for surgery, you will be admitted to the hospital usually the morning of your surgery.

 

LAP-BAND® SYSTEM PROCEDURE

Please watch this LAP-BAND® video on how the band works (mouse over it to see the control menu):

 

At the start of the operation, you will be given general anesthesia. If your case is typical, the operation will be performed laparoscopically. During the operation, the band part of the LAP-BAND® System will be fastened around the upper part of your stomach to create a small stomach pouch. Part of the lower stomach will then be sutured over the band. The rest of the lower stomach will stay in its normal position. The access port for adjusting the band will be placed under your skin. Once the anesthesia has worn off, you may feel some pain, which can usually be relieved with ordinary painkillers. The hospital staff will help you get out of bed and start moving as soon as possible to help prevent blood clots, respiratory problems, and bedsores.

 

On the day after the surgery you will likely have an X-ray. This allows your health team to see that the LAP-BAND® System is in the right place and that the new stomach outlet is open. You may be asked to swallow a liquid that can be seen on X-ray.

 

For LAP-BAND® System Surgery , hospitalization is usually less than 24 hours. The hospital stay may be longer if there are complications or if the surgeon has to convert to an "open" surgical procedure. If there are no complications, you should be able to resume normal activities within a week or two after surgery.

 

Weight loss surgery is major surgery. Its growing use to treat morbid obesity is the result of three factors:

 

• Our current knowledge of the significant health risks of morbid obesity.
• The relatively low risk and complications of the procedures versus not having surgery.
• The ineffectiveness of current non-surgical approaches to produce sustained weight loss.

ADJUSTING TO A NEW LIFE

Surgery is the first step on the road to successful and sustained weight loss. However, you must adopt a lifelong program that will help you meet your goals. This multi-faceted program will include routine check-ups with your surgeon, ongoing band adjustments if necessary, and regular attendance at support group meetings. Work closely with your surgeon and weight management team, follow their advice and communicate openly with them. Learn to use the LAP-BAND® System as a tool to help you lose your excess weight.

LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System adjustments are performed without surgery using a thin needle to inject or withdraw saline from the band via the access port. Being able to adjust the band is a unique feature of the LAP-BAND® System and is a normal part of the follow-up. This feature lets your surgeon find the right level of restriction to meet your individual needs.

 

Following the LAP-BAND® System placement procedure, the band is usually left empty or only partially inflated for a while. Adjustments are not usually performed until 4 to 6 weeks after surgery, although the exact time will vary from patient to patient. You and your surgeon will decide when the time is right for your first band adjustment. To determine this, your surgeon will consider:

The LAP-BAND® System offers you a way to obtain steady and safe weight loss. Don't be in a hurry to have an adjustment before you are ready.

 

MOTIVATION IS THE KEY
To work, the band needs your participation. Your success will depend on you and the partnership between you and your medical team. Your surgeon will not perform the operation unless he or she is sure that you understand the problems your excess weight is causing. Your surgeon will also make sure you understand your responsibilities, including adopting and maintaining a new eating pattern and a new lifestyle.

 

This site will provide valuable information about the benefits and risks of weight loss surgery. However, the best way to get a full assessment of your condition is to schedule a consultation to determine if weight loss surgery may be an option for you.