Lap Band Surgery
What is Adjustable Gastric Banding:
The LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System is a simple yet advanced gastric banding system that helps you gradually lose and control your weight by controlling your hunger, allowing you to control your food intake and supporting long term, sustainable weight loss.
How the LAP-BAND® System works:
A silicone band is placed around the upper part of your stomach, like a belt, to create a new smaller stomach pouch. As a result, patients are satisfied with smaller amounts of food. The LAP-BAND® is also adjustable. A small access port is placed below the skin surface. This port allows the surgeon to adjust the opening of the band individualizing it for each patient. By adding or removing fluid from the band the length of time until hunger recurs can be controlled. Adjusting the band is a simple procedure that can be done right in the surgeon’s office.
The effectiveness of the LAP-BAND® System depends on the ability of the patient to change his or her eating behavior and lifestyle. Doctors offering the LAP-BAND® are committed to providing long-term care for their patients, including dietary, behavior-modification, counseling, and support groups with other LAP-BAND® patients. After surgery patients must continue follow-up visits in order to maximize and maintain their weight loss. Patients are encouraged to eat a balanced diet of small meals and to avoid the eating patterns of their pre-surgery lifestyle. Patients are also encouraged to increase physical activity, which is very important to weight loss, good health, and improved quality of life.
The LAP-BAND® System Advantage
- Adjustable.
- Allows for personalized steady, healthy rate of weight loss.
- Minimally invasive surgical approach (small incisions and minimal scarring).
- No intestinal re-routing, cutting or stapling of the stomach wall or bowel.
- Can be performed on an out-patient basis.
- Reduced post-surgical pain, shorter hospital stay and recovery time.
- Return to work/normal activities typically within one to two weeks.
- Fewer Risks and Side Effects.
- Low risk of post-surgical nutritional deficiencies.
- Reduced risk of hair loss.
- No “dumping syndrome” (food passes through the system too fast resulting in severe cramping, nausea, sweats, diarrhea, etc.)
- While it is intended to be a long-term treatment, the LAP-BAND® System can be removed at any time, in most cases laparoscopically.
- Compared to gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy, the LAP-BAND® System is the safest, least invasive adjustable obesity surgery option in the U.S.
To further help you understand the LAP-BAND® System Procedure, you may watch the LAP-BAND® System Video.
For more information about the LAP-BAND® or to find out if you or someone you know can benefit from this procedure, please contact our office at (814) 467-4750. Located in Johnstown, PA we also serve the surrounding areas of Cambria and Somerset counties.
