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The Lap Band is a gastric banding system which is completely adjustable. This system is designed to help people to loose their excess body fat while at the same time improving their health as well as quality of life. After the band in put in place around the upper portion of the stomach it will reduce the overall capacity if the stomach which in turn restricts the amount of food that you may be able to ingest at any given time.
The procedure features the use of a laparoscope which is then utilized to place the gastric band around the upper portion of the stomach. The gastric band itself is a silicone ring that is then filled with a saline solution which in turn can expand or contract by adding or removing the saline solution via an access point that will be kept near the surface of the skin. This system then creates the small stomach pouch without the need of sutures. The Lap-Band also plays a small amount of control of the stoma by slowing down the rate in which the food you digest flows through the upper and lower portions of the stomach.
During this minimally invasive procedure the surgeon will make only small incision and let the laparoscope do most of the work rather than making a large incision and using his or her hands to perform the procedure. As a result the incision is smaller and it also means that the recovery period is very small. Most patients can leave the hospital within a couple hours. This process makes it a great alternative to a gastric bypass as it can be done on a Friday allowing the patient to return to work on Monday.
The system is also fully adjustable which means that in the event you get pregnant you can have the surgeon reduce the pressure on the gastric band allowing for the increased nutrient absorption needed for the growing fetus. It is also a completely reversible procedure. Should the need arise, a surgeon can go back in and remove the Lap-Band in the same manner in which it was attached. Although the removal is slightly more complicated then the attachment it is still a quick procedure. After removal of the Lap-Band the major issue is the fact that the stomach will return to its regular shape. |
