Lap Band Surgery Definition

Categorized: Laparoscopic Band | No comments

Lap band surgery is a new form of bariatric weight loss surgery that helps obese patients to restrict their food intake. Unlike the original and much cruder stomach stapling operations, the adjustable gastric band is much less dangerous for patients and easier to recover from. The surgical procedure used to place the band around the stomach is performed laparoscopically (hence the name “lap band.”)

The surgery works by physically restricting the amount of food that can be taken in. The band is placed around the upper end of the stomach near the opening to the esophagus. This creates a small sack that functions like a miniature stomach which fills up very quickly. Since this upper part of the stomach sends signals to the brain that the stomach is full, the body is fooled into believing that the whole stomach has been filled.

Gradually, the smaller portion of food drains down into the lower stomach for digestion. The net effect of this is that the lap band recipient is forced to eat smaller portions, and is able to feel full after consuming these smaller amounts of food.

There are some arguments as to whether the lap band procedure is an ideal method for treating a disorder that is essentially behavioral. Regardless, lap band surgery is substantially more elegant than previous surgicalinterventions for weight loss.

Also, very importantly, the lap band procedure can be reversed, which makes its long term viability much better for patients than previous interventions which could be prone to problems over time. There is also much less risk of rupturing the stomach than with more invasive surgical weight loss modalities.


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