A Look into Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric band
Gastric band is one of the most popular weight-loss surgery techniques these days. Also known as LAP-BAND®, it is wrapped around the upper part of the stomach to reduce its size. In this way, the stomach fills with food more quickly than normal. Food also goes through the lap band more slowly and into the stomach for digestion.
The results of this procedure are more dramatic because it compels the patient to reduce his or her food intake. This is why it has become one of the most popular choices among various types of people including famous celebrities.
Gastric band surgery
After undergoing gastric band surgery, patients are compelled to control their eating portions. The gastric band turns the stomach into an hourglass. The upper part of the stomach is reduced to a golf ball’s size and the larger part sits below the gastric band.
With this setup, the upper pouch will only be able to accommodate a smaller amount of food, which will gradually enter the lower pouch. The band works to regulate the flow of food so you feel fuller with smaller food intake and the feeling will last longer.
Frequently asked questions
Please see below some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that patients most commonly ask about the gastric band procedure. We hope that our answers below will begin to put your mind at ease. If you have any other questions why not call 0845 762 6727 today and book a consultation with one of our patient care co-ordinators and weight-loss surgeon.
Q: How much weight can the surgery help me lose?
This is a common question that every patient has. Out of 106 gastric band surgeries performed in January 2007 in our facility, we have recorded a total weight loss of 4,197 lbs or a whopping 1,904 kg nine months later. Every patient lost an average of 40 pounds and 99% reported weight loss after undergoing the operation. Only one patient did not lose weight. One of the patients slimmed down substantially, losing 191 lbs.
Q: How will I lose weight?
After undergoing surgery, a dietitian will help you create a suitable diet for your reduced stomach size. The results of the surgery will still vary across different patients so how much weight you would lose will still be influenced by a lot of things. For starters, you need to make sure that the band will stay in its place and this requires a certain level of commitment towards the new lifestyle that it brings. Weight loss surgery does not provide a miracle cure to obesity and the excess weight wouldn’t just come off on its accord. It is possible to lose as much as two to three pounds each week during the first year following your operation but a pound a week is more feasible. Eighteen months following the surgery, the weight that you lose every week will gradually lessen. It’s important to note that gradual weight loss is more recommended. Abrupt loss in weight can pose health risks. This will defeat the purpose of obesity surgery which is to overcome health problems caused by the excess weight.
Q: How do I get the band adjusted?
The X-ray department usually carries out the adjustments to the lap band. The procedure is administered there to make it easier for the doctor to find the access port. But don’t worry because your reproductive organs will be shielded when we use X-rays. There are also times when the adjustments are administered at an outpatient center. Local anesthesia is not always necessary as a fine needle pierces through the skin, targeting the access port to reduce the band’s saline content or add to it as needed. The process will only take a few minutes and many patients say that it’s not even as painful as they expect.
Q: Am I always going to be sick following the operation?
The lap band will naturally limit your food intake so it’s normal to feel nauseated regularly especially if you don’t chew your food properly or if you don’t follow the prescribed diet. But nausea could also indicate a problem with how the band is placed around your stomach, so feel free to contact the emergency service of the facility if the same problem persists. You need to avoid vomiting as much as you can because this can cause stretching of the upper pouch of the stomach. This can also cause part of your stomach to slip through the band, which can affect the success of the surgery. This may also require another operation to readjust the band in more drastic cases.
Q: How long is the recovery time following the operation?
Expect to spend less than a day at the hospital following the surgery. Most patients take a week off before going back to work and at least a month to as long as six weeks before they start exercising again. Recovery could take longer for open surgery or in the presence of complications.
Q: What do I do if I get sick?
One of the best things about lap band is it is adjustable. If a health issue requires increased food intake after surgery, you can have your band loosened. This is just a simple process of removing some of the saline from the band. After you have recovered and you want to go back to losing weight again, you can just have the band tightened back by having saline injected into it.
Q: What if I want to get pregnant?
Losing weight allows your hormones to go back to normal and your menstrual cycle to be more regular. This makes it easier for you to become pregnant. If you have to increase your food portions during pregnancy, you can have the band loosened. After you give birth, you can just get it tightened again so you can resume weight loss.
Q: Am I going to need vitamin supplements?
It would be a good idea to take vitamin supplements because your new diet may not be able to supply you with the required nutrients that you need daily. During your regular consults, the doctor or dietitian will assess your nutrient intake and the surgeon may also recommend taking supplements.
Q: Will there be scarring from the surgery?
Scarring after gastric band surgery will be minimal. Some even find it difficult to notice the scars after recovery. This is because the insertion point is really small and is usually located right under your breast bone.
Q: What happens to my skin after losing a lot of weight?
Skin elasticity differs across various patients so it is difficult to tell what will happen to a particular patient’s skin after he or she has achieved the ideal weight. There are patients who don’t experience problems with loose skin because it usually follows the shape of the new body tissue later on. There are several factors that can influence how the skin copes with drastic weight loss. These include age, sun exposure, smoking habits (or lack thereof), exercise, the extent of the weight loss, pregnancy and giving birth, and genetics.
Q: Will I still be able to enjoy dining out with friends and family?
One of the most common fears that patients have is that they will not be able to enjoy going out with friends and eating at their favorite restaurants after gastric band surgery. Contrary to popular belief, you will still be able to do this. The lap band is a portion controller but it shouldn’t keep you from going out. You just need to choose what you order wisely so you still have a fighting chance of enjoying a proper meal. Moderate portions of soup, pasta, and desert, for instance, will still be digested properly.
Q: Is this a suitable operation for diabetics?
This is actually recommended for people with type 2 diabetes. Weight loss through this route has been found to treat type 2 diabetes in more than 78% of patients and 86.6% report improvement of their condition.
Q: What will happen when I slim down to my ideal weight?
Once you have achieved your target weight, you want to book an appointment to have a small amount of saline removed from your band in order to create the right restriction according to your dietary requirements.