Lap Band Procedure

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, or LAGB, is a commonly performed type of  surgery for the treatment of obesity. This bariatric procedure has proven to be a safe and effective method of surgical weight loss since the first procedure was done here in the US in 2003, and recovery has known to be faster than with gastric bypass surgery.

The LAP-BAND® System are medically engineered components to help overweight people achieve long-term weight loss. The system is placed into the body though a procedure which some claim to have a low rate of surgical complications, and can be adjusted or even reversed if medical conditions warrant it.

The LAP-BAND® System, now in it’s third generation (LAP BAND AP), consists of three parts; an access port, tubing and an adjustable silicone gastric band.  Released in 2007,  it features a low pressure inner ring that is soft and pre-curved with 7 baffles (mini reservoirs) and a 360 fill radius. There are two band sizes (AP Standard, 10cc and AP Large, 14cc) and two port sizes (11.9mm or 14.7mm profile) enabling placement to be tailored to an individuals anatomy.

The Lap-Band procedure is fairly simple; a band is wrapped around your stomach to make it smaller.  An adjustable silicone band is placed around the upper part of the stomach which reduces the opening and creates a smaller food pouch at the top of the stomach – the remaining  portion of the stomach rests just below the band. The gastric band has an inner liner with saline that can be adjusted to form a variable opening.

Lap-Band surgery is usually performed laparoscopically, a minimally invasive surgical method that requires general anesthesia.  Thin hollow tubes are inserted thru tiny incisions which allow surgical instruments, guided by cameras,   to perform the operation.

The surgeon inserts the Lap-Band into the body and positions the gastric band around the stomach to form a ring and then fastens the lock which holds the band in place. The access port, which is connected to the gastric band via tubing, is fastened to the inside of the abdominal wall.

The advantages of laparoscopic surgery are less pain, fewer wound complications, and a quicker recovery than traditional open surgery.

Lap-Band Surgery, or laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, helps with weight loss by restricting food consumption and slowing digestion. By limiting how much food can be eaten at any one time and reducing hunger sensations it can help an individual eat less and thus lose weight.

The smaller gastric pouch that is created by the gastric band limits the amount of food that can be eaten and slows the emptying process from the stomach into the intestines. The smaller stomach pouch and slower digestion rate lets you feel full sooner and feel full longer. The band can be adjusted to let in more or less food as needed.

During surgery, an access port is placed beneath the skin that is connected to the gastric band via tubing. Saline can be easily added or removed by the surgeon thru the access port using a thin needle. This process is called inflating or deflating. If weight loss is too small and the band is too loose, saline is added to reduce the opening. If the opening is too tight, saline can be removed. The ability to adjust the opening is a unique feature of the Lap-Band procedure and a normal part of follow-up care.