What is Lap Band Surgery?
Get rid of unwanted fat with lap band surgery
Bariatric surgery comes in various forms, all of which help with how to lose weight fast. But what is lap band surgery and how does it differ from gastric bypass surgery.
Lap band surgery, also known as adjustable gastric banding, has become a popular means for losing weight particularly if diet and exercise have not helped in the past.
What is Lap Band Surgery?
If you want to lose weight fast, laparoscopic surgery is the way to go. Unlike a conventional gastric bypass, this type of procedure is minimally invasive. That means there’s no cutting or stapling and the intestine isn’t re-routed. Lap band surgery is also adjustable and reversible.
Lap band surgery is performed by making a few small incisions in the stomach. You will have an anaesthetic beforehand, so you won’t feel anything during surgery. Once the incisions are made the surgeon uses a tool with a tiny light and camera which in inserted into the stomach and monitored on a nearby computer.
An inflatable silicone band is inserted around the upper part of the stomach, creating a small pouch and a tube is used to connect the band to an access port just below the stomach’s skin. This port lets the surgeon adjust the band in future. After lap band surgery you will need to stay in hospital for a day or two and total recovery is around 10 days. The surgery only lasts an hour.
What to Expect Afterwards
The morning after surgery you will start a clear liquid diet for a week. You’ll need to drink a certain amount of fluid each day to avoid dehydration. Just before you leave hospital, the surgeon will give you instructions regarding pain control, incision care and vitamin supplementation.
Modifying the Band
Follow up appointments are a crucial part of lap band surgery. A few times a year the surgeon will have to adjust the band in order to:
- Slow the passage of food from the small pouch
- Achieve the right amount of restriction
- Help you achieve your weight loss requirements
The surgeon will use a fine needle and pass it through the skin into the access port. Saline solution is then added or subtracted. This only takes a couple of minutes and there’s minimal pain involved.
Are Their Complications Involved?
Lap band surgery does have potential complications, including
- Obstruction of the stomach
- Wound infection
- Band slippage, deflation or erosion
- Port malposition, hernia, breakage, infection
- Dilation of oesophagus
Before surgery, your surgeon will discuss the potential risks and side effects with you.
As for advantages, with the right lifestyle, diet and exercise changes, you will notice gradual weight loss that stays off.
What is Lap Band Surgery Finance?
Medical aids don’t cover this kind of procedure. If you require financial assistance, click on the banner on this page and find out if you’re eligible for medical finance. Or you can go to the application form here. They’ll get back to you within 48 hours with our results and handy repayment options.