THE LAP BAND PROCEDURE

A  PROVEN SOLUTION

FOR  WEIGHT LOSS

The LAP-BAND® is a restrictive procedure approved by the US FDA in June 2001. It has been widely used in Europe and Australia since 1993. The device is made of a silicone elastomer that has been proven to be very safe.

The LAP-BAND® is fastened around the upper stomach to create a new, tiny stomach pouch. The band is connected to an access port below the skin surface by thin, kink-resistant silicone tubing. The port allows the surgeon to adjust the size of the LAP-BAND® system to meet individual patient weight loss needs by adding or removing saline to inflate or deflate the band. This impacts the amount and consumption rate of food. The goal rate of weight loss is 1-3 lbs. a week. Adjustments to the band, which are performed during simple outpatient visits, are determined by the patient's weight loss, the amount of food that can be comfortably eaten, and other issues surrounding the patient's health. As a result, patients experience an earlier sensation of fullness and are very satisfied with smaller amounts of food.

Weight Loss Centers Presentation

Morbidly obese patients have an incredibly high risk of related health problems and premature death; therefore the FDA has certified the LAP-BAND® System in the treatment of obesity: This operation, can be accomplished with a fast, simple, laparoscopic technique.

Developed to aid in long-term weight loss, the LAP-BAND® System has been used by leading laparoscopic surgeons worldwide to treat severe obesity. Sustained weight loss with the LAP-BAND® System is achieved by reducing the capacity of the stomach. The LAP-BAND® System has been designed for laparoscopic placement, which offers the advantages of reduced post-operative pain, no hospital stay and quicker recovery. No cutting or stapling of the stomach is required, and there is no need to bypass portions of the stomach or intestines.

You should be at least 40 pounds overweight to consider the LAP-BAND® System. A better measure for determining your eligibility, however, is your BMI (Body Mass Index), a calculation based on your height and weight (Click here to calculate your BMI). The LAP-BAND® is generally recommended for patients with a BMI of 30-65. Weight Loss Centers can help anyone with a BMI of 27 or greater.

Clinically Severe Obesity is considered a chronic disease. In the United States, more than 12 million people suffer from this condition and from its medical, psychological, social and economic consequences including job loss and higher insurance fees. Clinically Severe Obesity is typically defined as an excess weight of 60 pounds (lbs) or more as compared with a person's Ideal Body Weight. Being more than 25% above your Ideal Body Weight is linked with increased risk of health problems, disease and death.

According to medical literature, clinically severe obese people can never achieve long-term weight loss with dietary or behavioral modifications alone. A 100% failure rate is reported and a series of failures will again lead to enormous psychological problems. Known as the "yo-yo Syndrome," this situation creates additional physical burden on these already high-risk patients. Surgery is therefore indicated for these patients.

Conventional obesity surgery is a high-risk procedure because of preoperative and postoperative morbidity. Preoperatively, access to the stomach is somewhat limited because of the enormous amount of fat surrounding the organ. Postoperatively, relative immobility of those patients facilitates blood clotting in deep veins of the legs and lung complications. The laparoscopic placement of an adjustable gastric band combines the advantages of this type of restrictive surgery, however is much less invasive than other procedures because the abdomen is not actually opened, nor is the patient's intestines cut. With this combination, operative risk is greatly reduced as well as morbidity and patient discomfort. Total reversibility and adjustability of the lap band are very positive points.