Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band

Cutting down the calories (Credit: Nolimits)

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery is supposed to be one of the safest and least invasive form of weight loss surgery. Lap band surgery uses a small inflatable band around the upper portion of the patient’s stomach to restrict the quantity of food that the patient can consume and it also slows the emptying of food from the stomach so that the patient has a constant feeling of being full.

A normal stomach will have a capacity in excess of 1000 ccs but laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery typically reduces this to as little as 15 to 30 ccs. This reduces the size of the stomach, limits the intake of food and forces the body to begin burning off fat reserves, leading to weight loss. Lap band surgery is often performed laparoscopically and the surgery can take up to an hour.

One beauty of this particular form of weight loss surgery is that the surgeon is able to adjust the restriction on the stomach post-operatively through a port which is embedded in the wall of the abdomen just under the skin. This allows the surgeon to monitor the patient's progress and to either increase or restrict further the amount of food that an individual can consume. This feature of lap band surgery not only leads to a safer recovery, but also results in a healthier long term weight loss.

Patients need to adhere to a strict diet after surgery – for about 18 months after the surgery they will be restricted to consuming less than 800 calories per day. The intake of calories will be increased between 18 to 36 months and they will consume around 1200 calories each day. Patients also need to drink fluids in small quantities throughout the day. Most patients undergoing laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery will experience a weight loss of approximately 60% of their excess weight.

The risks of lap band surgery include a malfunction or slippage of the band, problems with the adjustment port, erosion of the band into the wall of the stomach and infection.