Understanding the Basics of Lap Band Surgery If you are currently overweight or obese, you have probably started thinking about options that you have so that you can lose weight. Maybe you have tried to lose weight the natural way, by eating healthy and exercising better, and you are just not seeing results. If you have become discouraged and are beginning to think that you’ll never lose weight, do not lose hope just yet. There are many resources out there that are available to you that can help you lose weight.
What is Lap Band Surgery? Here are a few solid facts about lap band surgery. Lap band surgery is short for laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding surgery. Basically, this surgery makes a person’s stomach smaller. This helps them to lose weight and to also not eat as much because they feel full faster because their stomach is literally smaller. During lap band surgery, a doctor will make several incisions in the belly. The doctor will then put several small surgical tools and a tiny camera in the stomach through the incisions. He or she will do this so that he or she can see what they’re doing inside and around the stomach. The doctor then will wrap a band around the top of the stomach that forms a ring. The ring is attached to a thin tube that leads to an access port that is left under the patient’s skin after surgery is completed. The doctor will use the access port to put in or take away saline with a needle. If the doctor wants to tighten the ring and make the stomach smaller, he or she will add saline in through the access port. If the doctor wants to loosen the ring and make the stomach smaller, he or she will remove saline via the access port.
When Will You See Your Results? While the doctor is performing the surgery, the band around the stomach does not inflate. The patient has to start recovering from the surgery in order for the doctor to add saline so that the ring tightens and the stomach is made smaller.
The doctor will usually tighten the band 4 to 6 weeks after surgery has occurred. This can be frustrating for many people because they want to see the results of their lap band surgery immediately. However, the body must have adequate time to heal before any weight loss can happen. A patient who has undergone lap band surgery will most likely need pain medication in order to be able to handle the soreness and pain that will come after the surgery. The doctor of the patient will most likely recommend that the patient start moving around a lot and exercising so that the stomach will heal faster. Your doctor will also probably recommend that you get an X-ray a day or so after you get surgery so that he or she can make sure everything is going well and how it is supposed to go. As you can tell, lap band surgery is quite the undertaking. Meet with your doctor today to see if lap band surgery is the right choice for you and your lifestyle. Photo Credit: Chad, Jordan Valley LapBand