Are You A Suitable Candidate For Gastric Lap Banding?
There are several different types of weight loss surgery available today including the relatively new procedure of gastric lap banding which is growing in popularity and is fast becoming the preferred choice for many morbidly obese individuals. But are you a suitable candidate for gastric lap banding?
In answering this question we will start by assuming that you are a suitable candidate for weight loss surgery in general and that your only concern therefore is whether or not you should consider lap banding. In very simple terms this means that you are over the age of 18, are morbidly obese with a body mass index (BMI) in excess of 40 (or in excess of 35 with one or more co-morbid conditions) and that you have already tried traditional weight loss methods (including possible drug treatment) without success.
It is often assumed that individuals facing weight loss surgery are simply overweight and it is easy to forget that people who are severely overweight are often suffering from a variety of other conditions, many of which arise out of the fact that they are overweight. It is these other conditions that often present an obstacle when it comes to choosing between different surgical options.
As gastric lap banding is a form of restrictive surgery in which the stomach is physically restricted in size to limit the quantity of food that can pass through the stomach and digestive system, it follows that this form of surgery is unlikely to be suitable if your esophagus, stomach or intestine are abnormal. Such abnormality may be either congenital or acquired and a common problem seen is a narrowing at one or more points along the digestive tract.
Problems within the esophagus or stomach which may result in bleeding (such as esophageal or gastric varices – a dilated vein) would also rule out gastric lap banding, as will difficulties at the site where the band is to be placed around the stomach, such as an injury, scarring or gastric perforation.
Problems may also arise if you suffer from any form of inflammation or inflammatory disease within the gastrointestinal tract like ulcers, esophagitis or Crohn's disease.
Finally, gastric lap banding is not suitable for pregnant women or where pregnancy is contemplated. Should pregnancy occur after gastric lap banding surgery the band can be deflated to allow for an increased nutritional requirement but, where loosening the band is not in itself sufficient, the band may need to be removed
.
One benefit of the gastric lap banding system is that the procedure is reversible and, should it prove necessary, the band can be removed returning the stomach to its original state. This can however also be a disadvantage of the system. Motivation is key to any form of weight loss surgery but becomes a particular issue in the case of gastric lap banding. If there is any doubt about your determination to succeed then this form of surgery may not be a good option for you.
To find out more about gastric lap banding please visit Gastric Bypass Facts
Monday, October 30, 2006
Friday, October 27, 2006
How to Successfully Recover from Lap Band Procedure
Lap band procedure is considered to be a minimally invasive procedure. This makes the recovery phase easier and less troublesome for patients. But they should still anticipate some side effects while recuperating from the lap band procedure.
Doctors who carry out lap band surgeries often lay emphasis on that these surgeries are not “quick fixes”. The patients do need recovery time and they do have to work hard after the surgery. The operation cannot work alone.
When the anesthesia has disappeared, the patient will sense some soreness in the abdominal area. The soreness can simply be relieved by taking painkillers. It’s important that the patient get out of bed and start walking. This is done to prevent respiratory problems or blood clot formations. X-rays are normally used to check that the lap band is in the right place.
Patients usually spend less than 24 hours in the hospital. It takes most patients about a week to return to work and after a couple of weeks return to normal activities. During these weeks, it is very crucial to follow the surgery guidelines for a quick recovery. After having weight loss surgery it is important that patients modify their eating habits. This is done to allow the stomach to entirely heal in the correct position.
Often it is recommended that patients meet both a dietitian and a therapist. A dietitian can suggest eating changes that will gradually improve the weight loss. It is frequently beneficial for weight loss patients to get into contact with a therapist as losing a large amount of weight can be demanding both physically and mentally. A number of patients experience euphoric feelings at losing weight, but others may become very unhappy or are getting ambiguous feelings.
During the first fortnight after this type of weight loss surgery, it is very important to care for the stomach as much as achievable. And that is the reason that patients are only able to eat and drink only thin fluids. Only a couple of ounces of lean protein are permitted each day and only one to two servings of fresh fruits are suggested. Additionally, foods that are in most instances off limits include cakes, chips, syrups, honey, cookies, pies, and pastries. Foods that can cause blockage after operation include rice, shrimp, pasta, seeded fruits, dried fruit, peanut butter, nuts and vegetables. Foods must be chewed thoroughly and liquids should never be taken with meals.
After the lap band operation there are demanding dietary guidelines for a minimum of five weeks that must be obeyed. After this period, patients should normally expect to add foods to their diet, but there are still limitations. Most patients need to eat several very small meals and should consistently eliminate certain foods.
Working out is recommended after the lap band procedure as it can assist weight loss and help the patient to gain muscle mass. It is recommended that the patients exercise about thirty minutes each day following surgery. This does not always have to be very exhausting exercise. An ordinary form could be enough. Patients should initially begin slowly and work up to more involved forms of exercise.
http://www.lapbandgastricsurgery.com/ provides information about the lap band procedure and cost of lap band surgery - between $ 15,000 and $30,000. But there are also alternatives for only $ 8,000. Normally this will include pre-op consultations, hospital fees, and post-operative follow up care.
How to Successfully Recover from Lap Band Procedure
Doctors who carry out lap band surgeries often lay emphasis on that these surgeries are not “quick fixes”. The patients do need recovery time and they do have to work hard after the surgery. The operation cannot work alone.
When the anesthesia has disappeared, the patient will sense some soreness in the abdominal area. The soreness can simply be relieved by taking painkillers. It’s important that the patient get out of bed and start walking. This is done to prevent respiratory problems or blood clot formations. X-rays are normally used to check that the lap band is in the right place.
Patients usually spend less than 24 hours in the hospital. It takes most patients about a week to return to work and after a couple of weeks return to normal activities. During these weeks, it is very crucial to follow the surgery guidelines for a quick recovery. After having weight loss surgery it is important that patients modify their eating habits. This is done to allow the stomach to entirely heal in the correct position.
Often it is recommended that patients meet both a dietitian and a therapist. A dietitian can suggest eating changes that will gradually improve the weight loss. It is frequently beneficial for weight loss patients to get into contact with a therapist as losing a large amount of weight can be demanding both physically and mentally. A number of patients experience euphoric feelings at losing weight, but others may become very unhappy or are getting ambiguous feelings.
During the first fortnight after this type of weight loss surgery, it is very important to care for the stomach as much as achievable. And that is the reason that patients are only able to eat and drink only thin fluids. Only a couple of ounces of lean protein are permitted each day and only one to two servings of fresh fruits are suggested. Additionally, foods that are in most instances off limits include cakes, chips, syrups, honey, cookies, pies, and pastries. Foods that can cause blockage after operation include rice, shrimp, pasta, seeded fruits, dried fruit, peanut butter, nuts and vegetables. Foods must be chewed thoroughly and liquids should never be taken with meals.
After the lap band operation there are demanding dietary guidelines for a minimum of five weeks that must be obeyed. After this period, patients should normally expect to add foods to their diet, but there are still limitations. Most patients need to eat several very small meals and should consistently eliminate certain foods.
Working out is recommended after the lap band procedure as it can assist weight loss and help the patient to gain muscle mass. It is recommended that the patients exercise about thirty minutes each day following surgery. This does not always have to be very exhausting exercise. An ordinary form could be enough. Patients should initially begin slowly and work up to more involved forms of exercise.
http://www.lapbandgastricsurgery.com/ provides information about the lap band procedure and cost of lap band surgery - between $ 15,000 and $30,000. But there are also alternatives for only $ 8,000. Normally this will include pre-op consultations, hospital fees, and post-operative follow up care.
How to Successfully Recover from Lap Band Procedure
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Lap Band Surgery To Cure Morbid Obesity
Lap Band Surgery To Cure Morbid Obesity
Although the term lap band is commonly used today when talking about gastric banding surgery, LAP-BAND® is in fact the registered trade-mark for just one form of gastric band developed by an American company and approved in 2001 by the FDA for use in the United States.
Gastric banding, which is a type of purely restrictive weight loss surgery (that is to say that it works solely by restricting the quantity of food which can be consumed), includes both vertical banded gastroplasty and adjustable gastric banding. In the case of lap band surgery we are looking only at adjustable gastric banding.
The lap band system comprised a silicone ring with an inflatable inner lining which is designed to be placed around the upper section of the stomach. The band is then connected by a length of tubing to an access port which is placed just below the surface of the skin during surgery.
The placement of the band high up on the stomach creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach to hold food, with the bulk of the stomach now being below the band. The placement of the band also creates a very small opening, or stoma, between the two sections of the stomach and the size of this opening can be controlled by introducing liquid (normally saline) into, or removing liquid from, the inflatable inner ring of the band through the access port.
During lap band surgery the inner band is normally only given a very minimal inflation producing a relatively large opening between the two sections of stomach. Although the term relative is used here it should be noted that the newly created small stomach pouch and the opening between the sections of the stomach are in reality both very small.
In the period immediately following lap band surgery, the inner ring will be gradually inflated until a point is reached at which weight loss is optimized and the patient is comfortable with the size and frequency of meals that he/she can eat.
Restrictive forms of weight loss surgery are generally easier to perform than other procedures and lap band surgery is often performed laparoscopically which results in a reasonably short stay in hospital and a fairly fast post-operative recovery. This type of surgery also avoids many of the nutritional problems seen in malabsorption surgery (gastric bypass surgery in which food is re-routed through part of the small intestine). Finally, lap band surgery is totally reversible and removal of the band will result in the stomach returning to its normal size.
For more information on lap band surgery please visit Gastric Bypass Facts today
Although the term lap band is commonly used today when talking about gastric banding surgery, LAP-BAND® is in fact the registered trade-mark for just one form of gastric band developed by an American company and approved in 2001 by the FDA for use in the United States.
Gastric banding, which is a type of purely restrictive weight loss surgery (that is to say that it works solely by restricting the quantity of food which can be consumed), includes both vertical banded gastroplasty and adjustable gastric banding. In the case of lap band surgery we are looking only at adjustable gastric banding.
The lap band system comprised a silicone ring with an inflatable inner lining which is designed to be placed around the upper section of the stomach. The band is then connected by a length of tubing to an access port which is placed just below the surface of the skin during surgery.
The placement of the band high up on the stomach creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach to hold food, with the bulk of the stomach now being below the band. The placement of the band also creates a very small opening, or stoma, between the two sections of the stomach and the size of this opening can be controlled by introducing liquid (normally saline) into, or removing liquid from, the inflatable inner ring of the band through the access port.
During lap band surgery the inner band is normally only given a very minimal inflation producing a relatively large opening between the two sections of stomach. Although the term relative is used here it should be noted that the newly created small stomach pouch and the opening between the sections of the stomach are in reality both very small.
In the period immediately following lap band surgery, the inner ring will be gradually inflated until a point is reached at which weight loss is optimized and the patient is comfortable with the size and frequency of meals that he/she can eat.
Restrictive forms of weight loss surgery are generally easier to perform than other procedures and lap band surgery is often performed laparoscopically which results in a reasonably short stay in hospital and a fairly fast post-operative recovery. This type of surgery also avoids many of the nutritional problems seen in malabsorption surgery (gastric bypass surgery in which food is re-routed through part of the small intestine). Finally, lap band surgery is totally reversible and removal of the band will result in the stomach returning to its normal size.
For more information on lap band surgery please visit Gastric Bypass Facts today
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