The lap band surgery or stomach banding is not designed to be a quick fix – it is a procedure that is considered when traditional exercise, diet and medication have failed to result in significant weight loss. It gives you the opportunity to change your lifestyle in a way that you’d never dreamt possible.
Stomach banding surgery is performed under a general anaesthetic and the lap band is placed using keyhole surgery (laparoscopic) which doesn’t leave large scars and minimises post-surgery recovery time. The operation consists of putting a band around the upper stomach to create a small pouch which restricts the amount of food that can be consumed. The stomach band is connected by tubing which is placed in the abdomen wall.
This allows for the size of the band to be increased or decreased with saline. Patients can usually resume normal duties within a few weeks. Every type of surgery has possible complications but the stomach banding surgery incurs less risk than other weight loss operations, such as small bowel bypasses and stomach stapling. Also, unlike most weight loss procedures, lap band surgery is completely reversible.
This pouch of the lap band is designed to hold far less food than the typical stomach, filling up with food quickly and slowing the passage of food from the pouch to the lower part of the stomach. As the upper part of the stomach registers as full, the message to the brain is that the entire stomach is full. This sensation helps contribute to weight loss as the patient ends up eating smaller portions, feels full a lot quicker and for a longer period of time.
Patients who are morbidly obese, have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or have a BMI of 35 and over and are at a high risk to develop life threatening health problems and have exhausted all other options to lose weight are good candidates for stomach banding. Each patient is evaluated to determine their suitability for surgery and whether they understand the risks and commitment associated with the operation.
Being morbidly obese can be quite debilitating and prevent you from living a full and complete life. The operation helps you lose weight and increase life expectancy. Weight loss can result in an increased self-worth, an improved self-esteem and body image. This renewed sense of self-confidence can flow onto to many of areas of your life including relationships, career, lifestyle and sheer enjoyment of life.
If you are morbidly obese and you have not been able to control your weight through conventional means, lap band surgery can empower you with the confidence to live the life you have always wanted. We take a holistic approach to losing weight and have experienced surgeons, dieticians, physicians and psychologists who collaborate together to help patients achieve their long-term weight loss goals through stomach banding.
