Lap Band - The Preferred Weight Loss Surgery

The most common approach to lose those extra pounds is to eat less and exercise more. But if you are severely or morbidly obese, this approach may not be enough. Undergoing weight loss surgery to shed excess body fat may be the most trusted way to end your struggle with obesity forever.


Rates of obesity are rising alarmingly around the world, and in several countries it has even reached epidemic proportions. This obesity rate explosion has led to a parallel popularity of bariatric surgery as a treatment for severely obese individuals.
The surgical options for morbid obesity are classified as restrictive, malabsorptive or both, each containing various procedures and variations. All weight loss methods work in two ways - by limiting food intake and restricting calorie uptake from the intestine.

As a growing number of people are getting fatter in many parts of the world, the number of weight reduction surgery procedures including gastric bypass, gastric banding, vertical sleeve gastrectomy, and roux-en-y gastric bypass, has also jumped. The most commonly used weight reduction procedures for patients with weight issues are Laparoscopic Lap Band Surgery or Adjustable Gastric Banding (AGB), and Roux-en-Y (RNY) Gastric Bypass.

Lap Band Surgery - an Overview

Adjustable gastric banding is a restrictive weight loss method that works by decreasing the amount of food intake and making you feel full sooner.

In lap band surgery, three to five small incisions of a few centimeters long are made in the abdomen and a small pouch is created in the upper part of the stomach with a controlled and adjustable stoma.

This pouch or altered stomach dramatically reduces the functional capacity of the stomach, which results in the slowing down of digestion that reduces the appetite and prolongs the period of fullness.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the lap band surgery in 2001 for use in severely obese patients who are having a body mass index (BMI) of more than 40 and those of age group 35 to 40 with one or more weight-related diseases.
Today, AGB is the most chosen bariatric procedure in the United States, with more and more people with weight issues preferring to undergo lap band surgery for quicker weight loss.

Why Have Adjustable Gastric Banding?

There are several advantages of lap band surgery over any other weight reduction surgery. The first and the foremost reason why many people prefer this surgical method for losing excess fat is that it is an easy, safe and minimal invasive procedure.

This form of surgery requires no large incisions in the abdomen and no cutting or stapling of the stomach as well. This means no risk of deterioration of the staples and leakage in gastrointestinal system.

The operation is performed under general anesthesia in a hospital operating room, and can last between 30 minutes and 1 hour.

A lap band beneficiary usually experiences less pain and scarring and does not experience dumping syndrome including symptoms like nausea, vomiting, cramping, dizziness, weakness and diarrhea.

In addition, gastric banding surgery patients have a shorter hospital stay and quicker recovery than patients of other types of obesity treatment.

Another big advantage of getting lap band surgery is that the surgery is reversible and lap band can be removed by performing a small laparoscopic surgery.

The highest success rate and lowest complication/mortality rate of adjustable lap band surgery are the other advantages enticing many obese patients to go for this form of obesity treatment.

If you are suffering from severe obesity and considering going under the surgeon's knife to say goodbye to that stubborn body fat, undergoing adjustable gastric banding can be a worthwhile step for you to take in order to reach your weight loss goals.