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There are several different types of surgery to consider as you explore your weight loss surgery options. Two options worth considering are the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band procedure, known as lap-band. The other is sleeve gastrectomy, often referred to as a gastric sleeve procedure or laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.
Each one poses strengths and benefits that vary from one person to the next. It’s important to gather all the facts and discuss your wishes, needs, and concerns with your physician in order to determine which procedure is the best choice for you.
Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (Lap-Band Surgery)
This procedure works to limit appetite and food intake by wrapping an adjustable band around the upper portion of the stomach. This band creates a small pouch where food enters with a smaller opening below for food to pass through. The pouch allows you to feel full faster so that you eat less food.
The result of this, when combined with proper dietary intake and adequate exercise, is slow, steady, and consistent weight loss of one to two pounds per week over a two to three year period.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of the lap-band procedure is that there is no stapling or cutting of the stomach involved. This means that the procedure is not only fully reversible, but also less of a shock to the system, which leads to fewer potential complications with the procedure.
Another benefit of the laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding procedure is that the size of the lower opening is adjustable through “fills” performed in your doctor’s office. These fills allow you to create a smaller opening if you’re not achieving the weight loss results you need or a larger opening if you appear to be losing too much weight too quickly.
Recovery time for lap-band surgery is also generally short, with a hospital stay of approximately 24 hours and the ability to return to work within one to two weeks.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery
The sleeve gastrectomy uses a stapling device to create a vertical sleeve, typically removing more than 75 percent of the stomach, and leaving a portion about the size of a banana behind. This limits the amount of food you can consume, while allowing you to maintain full, normal digestion and absorption of the food.
The procedure can now be done with a virtually scarless single incision sleeve gastrectomy resulting in a quicker recovery time and better osmosis.
What’s highly beneficial about this procedure is that the part of the stomach that is removed is the part that produces the hunger hormone Ghrelin.
Recovery times for this procedure can be as short as one hospital day, and most people spend one to two weeks recovering, on average, before returning to work.
Making the Choice
The bottom line is that both procedures offer advantages according to your state of health and immediate weight loss needs and goals. Contact us at New York Bariatric Group at 800-633-8446 to discuss both gastric sleeve surgery and the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band procedure. You can also attend a free seminar to learn more about the various weight loss procedures and their benefits.
