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Lap Band Surgery

Just like any of the other weight loss surgeries out there, there are a set of requirements in order for a potential patient to qualify for the procedure. These requirements are the same as any weight loss procedure and are set by the National Institutes of Health. According to the NIH’s requirements for Lap Band surgery, the patient has to be more than 100 pounds over weight or an equivalent of having a body mass index of 40 or more. You will have to have medical issues resulting from your obesity as well as evidence that you have been obese for no less than 5 years of which the last six months have been in a structured weight loss program.

Luckily the government has passed several laws which basically force the various insurance companies to pay for the weight loss procedures as long as the patient conforms to the National Institutes of Health’s requirements.

Once all the financial stuff has been taken care of you will get your scheduled Lap-Band procedure in which at first the surgeon will make a series of small incision in which to access the stomach with a laparoscope. The Lap Band will then be positioned around the upper portion of the stomach to create the new food pouch which will help you to loose the weight. The Lap-Band also has an access port from which to adjust the gastric band and that will be positioned near the top of the abdomen just under the skin.

You will in most cases be able to return to work within a few days but at the latest you may have to wait a week. The procedure is virtually painless although it is possible for patients to feel some slight discomfort from the foreign object that is now in their body. The surgeon will also set you up for a couple of adjustment appointments from which he or she will be able to adjust the Lap-Band based on your particular circumstances.

The average Lap Band patient will loose anywhere from 40% to 60% of their body weight through the use of the Lap Band gastric banding system.