This information is provided by MedTrava, Medical Tourism experts.
LAP-BAND ® System Surgery is a minimally invasive weight loss procedure requiring no stomach stapling or re-routing of internal organs. In the U.S. it is the second most common weight loss surgery performed (after gastric bypass surgery). The name "LAP-BAND ® System" comes from the surgical technique used (laparoscopic) and the name of the product used (gastric band). The LAP-BAND ® System consists of a silicone ring that is placed around the top of the stomach. Inside the LAP-BAND ® System is an inner balloon, which connects to the access port through a small tube. The access port is placed deep under the skin on the left-hand side of the stomach and is adjusted with a shot of saline solution that tightens or loosens the band according to personal weight loss goals. This fluid regulates the amount of satiety (feeling of fullness) and satiation (feeling satisfied after meals) felt by the patient.
On average, laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding will help you lose about 40 percent of your excess weight—if you are 100 pounds overweight you can expect to lose 40 pounds. Unlike gastric bypass surgery, gastric banding does not interfere with food absorption, so vitamin deficiencies are rare after gastric banding.
Candidates for this procedure:
This information is provided by MedTrava, Medical Tourism experts.
You qualify for this procedure if:
You are overweight by 100 pounds or more
You have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 40 or
You have a BMI of more than 35 with illnesses related to being overweight
You have been overweight for five years or more
You have failed to lose weight or sustain weight loss under supervision
You are willing to comply with the lifestyle and diet changes required after this surgery
You do not qualify for this procedure if:
You have an inflammatory disease or condition of the gastrointestinal tract, such as ulcers, sever esophagitis, or Crohn's disease
You have severe heart or lung disease that makes you a poor candidate for surgery
You have a problem that could cause bleeding in the esophagus or stomach
You have portal hypertension
Your esophagus, stomach, or intestine is not normal-for instance, you might have a narrowed opening.
You are addicted to alcohol or drugs
You may be allergic to materials in the device
Symptoms of obesity:
Obesity can cause a number of health problems, many of which can improve or even disappear after LAP-BAND ® System surgery. Some common symptoms are heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, respiratory insufficiency, heartburn, and arthritis of weight-bearing joints.
About the stomach:
This information is provided by MedTrava, Medical Tourism experts.
About Gastric Banding Surgery Abroad
This information is provided by MedTrava, Medical Tourism experts.
The three types of weight loss surgery are malabsorptive procedures, which shorten the digestive tract, restrictive procedures that reduce how much the stomach can hold, and combined procedures that perform both bariatric weight loss techniques.
LAP-BAND ® System surgery is a restrictive procedure that uses an adjustable gastric band that reduces the stomach capacity and restricts the amount of food that can be consumed at one time. It uses a silicone ring, which is designed to be placed around the upper part of the stomach and filled with saline on its inner surface. This creates a new, smaller stomach pouch that can hold only a small amount of food, so the food storage area in the stomach is reduced. The band also constricts the stoma (stomach outlet) between the new upper pouch and the lower part of the stomach. Because the band decreases the size of your stomach, you will feel full faster, and because the food will move more slowly through the stoma as it is digested you will eat less frequently and lose weight.
The LAP-BAND ® System System procedure does not require stomach cutting and stapling or gastrointestinal re-routing to bypass normal digestion. It is the only adjustable and reversible weight-loss surgery available in the United States and the only weight-loss surgery approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Once placed around the stomach, tubing connects the LAP-BAND ® System to an access port placed beneath the skin of your abdomen. This allows the surgeon to change the stoma (stomach outlet) size by adding or removing saline (salt water) inside the inner balloon by inserting a fine needle through the access port. This adjustment process helps determine the rate of weight loss. If the band is too loose and weight loss is insufficient, adding more saline can reduce the size of the stoma to further restrict the amount of food that can move through it. If the band is too tight, the surgeon will remove some saline to loosen the band and reduce the amount of restriction.
The diameter of the band can be modified to meet your individual needs, which can change as you lose weight. For example, pregnant patients can expand their band to accommodate a growing fetus, while patients who aren't experiencing significant weight loss can have their bands tightened.
During the procedure, surgeons usually use laparoscopic techniques (making tiny incisions rather than a large incision and inserting long-shafted instruments through "ports"), to wrap the silicone ring around the patient's stomach. A narrow camera is passed through a port so the surgeon can view the operative site on a nearby video monitor. The band is then locked securely in a ring around the stomach.
Gastric Banding Surgery Risks:
Slippage (reverting to a liquid diet for up to 5 days is a known prevention technique)
Pouch Enlargement
Erosion
Infection
Nausea
Risk of Mortality (national mortality rate is .05% - approximately 10x safer then the gastric bypass)
Vomiting
Temporary hair loss
Food intolerances
Loss of muscle mass
Gastric Banding Surgery Benefits:
Adjustable, customized for weight loss goals
Least invasive surgical weight loss option
No intestinal rerouting
No additional surgery required to optimize weight loss
Safe for pregnancy allowing patient to eat more while pregnant
Widely used around the world
Simpler operation gives lower risk of surgery
Gradual, healthy weight loss allowing skin to adjust more appropriately
Reversible, stomach can completely return to normal size and function if necessary for any medical condition
No dumping syndrome (intolerance to carbohydrates or sugars) reported
Resolves high blood pressure and cholesterol
Cures asthma and respiratory insufficiency (shortness of breath)
Alleviates lower back pain, degenerative disk disease, and degenerative joint disease
Preparing for LAP-BAND ® System surgery overseas
This information is provided by MedTrava, Medical Tourism experts.
As part of your medical tourism LAP-BAND ® System surgery preparation you will fill out a detailed questionnaire that will allow the doctors we work with to determine your eligibility for LAP-BAND ® System surgery. In order to be eligible for this surgery, you must have already tried conventional weight loss techniques and you must be willing to commit to the lifestyle changes this surgery requires. After you arrive at your medical travel destination and are admitted to the hospital, you will receive psychological advice which will help you adhere to a healthier lifestyle. You will also receive nutritional counseling before and after your surgery.
Life after Gastric Banding Surgery abroad
You will most likely be discharged from the hospital after 48 hours. You should be able to return to work after one week and begin intensive exercising after six weeks.
Four to six weeks after surgery, you should visit a local doctor to adjust your LAP-BAND ® System to meet your needs. This adjustment is a simple office visit that will take only 10 to 15 minutes. The doctor will use a thin needle to inject or remove saline from the band depending on your needs. You may need additional adjustments later depending on your weight loss results.
Post-Surgery Nutrition
In the first few weeks after your surgery, you will be on a liquid diet since only thin liquids will be tolerated by your stomach at that time. As you heal, you will progress to pureed foods at about three to four weeks post-op and then soft foods at about five weeks post-op. You will then be able to progress to eat solid foods.
Once you can eat solid foods again, you will need to pay close attention to your diet. The LAP-BAND ® System System is designed to restrict solids, not liquids, so drinking liquids will not make you feel full. You should not drink liquids during or immediately after meals as they will flush food through the reduced stomach pouch, which means you will not get the prolonged feeling of satiety needed to help you eat less. However, staying hydrated and drinking plenty of water throughout the day is important. You will also need to learn to eat slowly and chew your food very thoroughly.
It is recommended that you eat only three small meals a day and make sure that these meals contain adequate nutrients. You will need to make good food choices and learn to avoid problem foods, such as high-fiber, high-fat, and dry foods, since these are more difficult for the small stomach pouch to digest. Good food choices include fruits and vegetables, lean protein, some bread and cereal, and some dairy products. Foods that have a concentrated supply of calories with little nutritional value, such as milkshakes, syrups, jam, and pastries, should be avoided.
LAP-BAND ® System is a registered trademark of Allergan, Inc.
