Lap-Band is a popular weight loss solution.
Lap-Band is a gastric banding system that helps users gradually lose and control their weight by limiting the amount of food the stomach can hold at one time. While this is a popular weight loss solution for some, there are many factors that should be considered when determining if Lap-Band surgery is safe for you.
Basic Requirements
You should seek Lap-Band surgery only if you are more than 100 pounds overweight or have a body mass index of 40 or more.
Risky Health Conditions
If you have a serious underlying health condition, Lap-Band surgery may be risky for you. Conditions include, but are not limited to: Crohns disease; severe heart or lung disease; chronic pancreatitis; or cirrhosis.
The Surgery
This procedure is done through laparoscopic surgery, which involves a series of tiny cuts along the belly into which the surgeon inserts tools and a camera. He then wraps the Lap-Band device around the upper part of the stomach. Saline is added or removed from the band to make the stomach smaller or larger as needed.
Surgery Statistics
As with all surgeries, Lap-Band carries many risks. During a U.S. clinical study, 1% of all patients who underwent the procedure had gastric perforation (tearing in the wall of the stomach) during the procedure, which lead to a need for additional surgeries. 88% of patients in the study reported some type of adverse effect relating to the Lap-Band surgery ranging from nausea and vomiting to stomach-band outlet blocking.
Specific Risks
While Lap-Band is traditionally applied using laparoscopic surgery, which should be minimally invasive, it carries its own set of risks. These include but are not limited to: spleen or liver damage; perforation of the stomach or esophagus during surgery; damage to major blood vessels; or thrombosis (blood clots).
Get the Facts
The best way to evaluate the risks of Lap-Band surgery is to speak with a surgeon who specializes in the procedure in addition to doing your own research.
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