Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band Surgery
Gastric Band / The Lap-Band
Gastric banding is a minimally invasive procedure that does not cut the stomach or intestine but places a circular balloon around the top of the stomach. Unlike a gastric bypass that surgically separates the stomach into a small pouch and separate bypassed stomach, gastric band creates a “virtual pouch” with a small upper stomach that continues into the larger lower stomach. Think of it as an hour-glass shape with the skinny part of the hourglass near the top; the top can’t hold as much sand, and it flows out slowly.
Request your appointment for more information about the benefits, alternatives, and risks of Lap-Band surgery in Beverly Hills:
Email us at [email protected] or Call us at 805.230.0030
Considering gastric band / Lap Band?
Patients considering the gastric band / Lap Band procedure should have a BMI (body mass index) between 30 and 40. Even though gastric banding is a comparatively less complicated procedure than some others, it is still a serious consideration, and all options should be discussed carefully with your surgeon. In considering any weight loss procedure, you will be carefully evaluated by your surgeon, and you will be fully advised of the considerations and risks involved.
What’s the gastric band / Lap Band procedure like?
Gastric banding / Lap Band is an outpatient, “same day” procedure performed under general anesthesia. Four incisions the width of a drinking straw and one the width of a magic-marker are used. The band is a circular balloon with a tube that connects to an adjustable port that goes under your skin below your left ribcage. Surgeons place the gastric Lap Band around the top of the stomach. The procedure typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete, and you will be able to return home after the procedure. People return to normal activity within one- to two days.
What’s life like after gastric band / Lap Band surgery?
The immediate recovery is typically quick because the Lap Band is placed laparoscopically, and the band is left loose. Over time, you will come to the surgeon’s office, and based on how well you are losing weight and how comfortable you are, the balloon will be filled (tightened) or unfilled (loosened) with saline by accessing the port beneath your skin. This process does not even require local anesthesia unless you request it. You can be re-evaluated and re-fitted every few weeks or as needed. Long after the band is placed, some patients find it hard to find the comfort zone and require frequent adjustments, feeling the band is either too-tight or too-loose.
Some patients are attracted to the reversibility of the procedure. If you are not satisfied with your Lap Band experience, the band can be easily removed with minimally invasive surgery, and you would typically be able to consider replacing it with another type of weight loss surgery.
Request your appointment for more information about the benefits, alternatives, and risks of Lap-Band surgery in Beverly Hills:
Email us at [email protected] or Call us at 805.230.0030