Lap-Band
Lap-Band is a surgically implanted medical device made of soft silicone. The band is placed around the upper part of your stomach by a qualified surgeon in order to help bring your weight down and treat the health issues related to your weight. The Lap-Band works by helping you feel satisfied with less food for an extended amount of time.
If you have at least 30 lb to lose, your health is affected by your weight, and you are ready to make a serious commitment to change, Lap-Band may be the right choice for you.
It is not a miracle cure: to succeed, you have to make a commitment to drastically change your
lifestyle. Your surgeon will explain how truly challenging making that change may be for you and your chances for success. If you do your part, Lap-Band can help you control your hunger and lose weight.
What is Lap-Band?
The Lap-Band is an implanted surgical device. An inflatable ring (Band) is placed around the top of your stomach making 2 sections—a small upper pouch and a larger lower pouch. The band is about the size of a small napkin ring. It opens up to go around your stomach, then fastens shut.
The band is adjustable. The inside part of the band is hollow, almost like an inner tube, and it holds a saline solution (salty water). The band is connected by a thin, flexible tube to an access port that sits under your skin on one side of your belly. To adjust the size of the band, your specialist can use a fine needle to inject or remove saline solution through the access port.
The gastric band and access port are not visible anywhere on your body. You may be able to feel the access port under your skin, but usually no one will be able to see it.
How is Lap Band Placed?
Your surgeon places the band around the upper part of your stomach through a surgical procedure. The procedure is done under general anesthesia, meaning that you are put to sleep. Itʼs usually done as a laparoscopic procedure, meaning that it is done through several small incisions (cuts.) This is diff erent from an open procedure, which is done through one large cut.
How Lap Band works?
Lap-Band is an implanted device that does not change your anatomy and is intended for long-term use. Unlike other, more drastic weight-loss surgeries, the Lap-Band procedure does not cut out the majority of your stomach or re-route your intestines and has the lowest risk for vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Typically, only a daily multivitamin is required. If for any reason your Lap-Band needs to be removed, it is easily reversible.
After Lap-Band is removed, the stomach normally returns to the size it was before surgery. It is common for people to regain weight after having their Lap-Band System removed. If your Lap-Band System is removed, readjusted, or replaced, the surgery will have the same risks as with any other surgery.
The risk of some problems increases with any added procedure. Your surgeon will be able to explain this to you fully. You may also find out more about surgery and its risks at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery site: https://asmbs.org/patients/bariatric-surgery-procedures
Shortest recovery time of lap band
Lap-Band is often placed in a surgery center which can shorten the length of stay thus limiting costs associated with longer hospital stays. Even if your Lap-Band procedure is done in a hospital, you could usually return home the same day, with the shortest recovery time.
Benefits of laparoscopic procedures of Lap Band
Because surgery can usually be completed through a laparoscopic procedure, most people who receive the Lap-Band can enjoy the benefits of this less-invasive method.
• Laparoscopic surgery is less risky than open surgery.
• Less pain
• Faster recovery
• Smaller scars
Who is a good candidate for the Lap Band?
Before you make a decision It is important for you to understand what Lap-Band involves and what it requires you to do. This brochure is designed to help answer some of the questions you may have about the Lap-Band and weight-reduction surgery in general, so you can make an informed decision. It includes specific information about the benefits and the risks of the Lap-Band. This information cannot and should not replace discussions with your surgeon about your expectations and any risks and potential complications.
Your decision about whether the Lap-Band System can help you should be based on realistic expectations. Your results will depend on many factors that are specific to you, including your starting weight, age, the specific health issues you may have, and your commitment to a new lifestyle.
What makes You a good candidate for the Lap Band?
- You are at least 18 years old.
- Your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or higher AND you have a health problem related to your weight. Or your BMI is 40 or higher.
- You have tried hard to lose weight but have only had short-term success.
- You do not have a disease that may have caused you to be overweight.
- You are prepared and motivated to set a lifetime goal to make permanent changes to your eating habits and lifestyle.
You are willing and able to return to your doctor for follow-up visits and band adjustments.
You understand the information in this brochure and other information provided by your surgeon.
Even if you meet all of these criteria, your surgeon may still recommend a different treatment option. Your surgeon can assess your specific risks and determine if Lap-Band is right for you.
The importance of body mass index (BMI) for the Lap-Band System
Knowing your body mass index (BMI) may help you understand if Lap-Band is right for you. It is essentially a way to combine your height and weight into a single measure.
Usually people who are obese (BMI over 30) are about 30 pounds overweight. If your BMI is 40 or more, you are said to be extremely obese, with a high risk of health problems. Surgery is a good approach for people with a BMI of 30 or more whose weight is impacting their health.
To find out your BMI, feel free to use our BMI calculator.
What are Lap Band Benefits?
The benefit of the Lap-Band System is weight loss, which in turn can lead to improvements in other health conditions. There is no way to predict how much weight you will lose with the Lap-Band System. Some people lose more weight than others. Getting the Lap-Band System doesnʼt guarantee that you will reach your goal weight or even lose weight.
The Lap-Band System will not solve your weight problem by itself— the Lap-Band is a tool that you will need to work with for the best results. That means eating less food, chewing and eating slowly, and eating healthier food. How much weight you lose depends on how committed you are to doing your part. It is possible to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week in the first year after the operation. It is also possible to lose less or none at all. Individual results vary. Twelve to 18 months after the operation, weekly weight loss usually slows or stops.
Wendy Lost 100 Pounds !
How much weight have other people lost with Lap-Band?
In a study of obese adult patients (BMI between 30 and 40) from 2007 to 2009, the average patient lost approximately 65% of their excess weight one year after surgery.
On average, patients kept off 60% of their excess body weight after 5 years of having the Lap Band.
Additional studies have shown similar results for up to 20 years. Excess weight means the extra pounds you carry above your ideal weight. For example, if your ideal weight is 155 pounds and you weigh 255 pounds, then you are 100 pounds overweight. This is your excess weight. If you lose 50% of your excess weight, then you lose 50 pounds.
