Lap Band Procedure

Introduction…………………………..
I. History of the Lap-Band System
II. How the Lap-Band system works And who is it for ?
III. Risks and advantages of the Lap-Band
IV. Costs of the Lap-Band
V. Lap-Band System vs. Gastric Bypass
Bibliography  I choose to do my research on the Lab-Band system. It is the new weight loss surgery that is taking over. The process makes losing the weight a slow process and very minimally invasive. Hospital stays are shorter and the recovery process is faster.

History of the Lap-Band System

The Lap-Band was first brought about in the 1980 's by a doctor by the name of Lubomyr Kuzmak. The Bioenterics Company took over the original design and attempted to perfect it. Inamed Company purchased Bioenterics and continued work on the Lap-Band. Finally in 1993 a Dr. Mitiku Belachew placed the first Lap-Band in Belgium. Although may people still travel out of the states to have this procedure done, the FDA approved the Lap-Band system in 2001. Surgeons have now preformed over 120,000 procedures, while gastric bypass is still the most common weight loss surgery, the Lap-Band system is by far the most popular.

How the Lap-Band works and who it is for

The Lap-Band is a procedure preformed through several small incisions with the aid of a fiber optic camera and other specialized instruments. During the surgery an adjustable band is placed around the top part of the stomach to create a small gastric pouch to avoid cutting the intestines. A portion of the tube connects the band to the adjusting port that is placed under the skin in the abdominal wall allowing easy access for adjustments. The inner lining of the band is a balloon that is filled with saline to narrow the opening of the stomach, limiting the amount of food that is able to pass. Saline is either added or withdrawn through a needle and syringe placed in the port. Both the surgery and adjustments are minimally painful. The best part of the Lap-Band is that it is totally adjustable and reversible. So if for example a patient becomes pregnant the physician would simply drain the band for the duration of the pregnancy and then slowly refill it after the baby is born. Although it is not necessary to remove the band after one reaches the goal weight but it is possible to do so. Provided patients follow the instruction by choosing the right foods and exercise after the procedure most patients will lose between 50 and 75% of the excess weight. The Lap-Band is said to be much safer than other weight loss surgeries mainly because it is minimally invasive and the weight comes off at a much slower rate than with surgeries such as the gastric bypass. The Lap-Band is designed for those who have dealt with morbid obesity for a long period of time. I conducted two interviews to find requirements for having the surgery. The first was with a nurse from a Dr. John Pennings office in post falls. One is generally 100 pounds or more over weight, with a minimum age of 16 and a maximum of 65. A require BMI of 30-60 and proven 3 weight loss technique failures. It is not necessary to have a physician referral to have the surgery performed. Once these requirements have been met there is a list of things that must be done before the physician will perform the surgery. Through Dr. Jennings office the list is as follows: 1. You must attend a lecture on the procedure, 2. You must have a personal consultation with a counselor, 3. You must pay the fees, 4. You need a mental health evaluation, a dietician evaluation and a physical evaluation, 5. You must attend some pre-operative groups. After the surgery a patient can expect to spend one day in the hospital, then 2-3 days of limited activity. I have also interviewed a woman named Liz Englebert who has had the surgery performed. She reports that in 7 months she has lost 125 pounds. For the first six weeks she was on a recovery diet with levels of food types. First was a liquid diet, which then moved in to pureed food, such as yogurts etc. After you can handle those you move to mechanical softs, finally to solid foods. There are some foods you may not be able to have anymore but that depends on the patient. Liz states " The order of priority of food is proteins first, then veggie, carbs , breads, and extremely limited sugars." The lap_band gives you a feeling of being full and limits food intake. Liz said that if she over eats her stomach won 't take it, but "it is not like vomiting it 's more like coughing up a hair ball." The Lap-Band trains patients to eat slower and in moderation. Patients are also encouraged to engage in physical daily activity. Patients are also encouraged to take vitamins as they may not get all of the nutrition they need with the diet changes.

Bibliography: I choose to do my research on the Lab-Band system. It is the new weight loss surgery that is taking over. The process makes losing the weight a slow process and very minimally invasive. Hospital stays are shorter and the recovery process is faster. History of the Lap-Band System The Lap-Band was first brought about in the 1980 's by a doctor by the name of Lubomyr Kuzmak. The Bioenterics Company took over the original design and attempted to perfect it. Inamed Company purchased Bioenterics and continued work on the Lap-Band. Finally in 1993 a Dr. Mitiku Belachew placed the first Lap-Band in Belgium. Although may people still travel out of the states to have this procedure done, the FDA approved the Lap-Band system in 2001. Surgeons have now preformed over 120,000 procedures, while gastric bypass is still the most common weight loss surgery, the Lap-Band system is by far the most popular. How the Lap-Band works and who it is for The Lap-Band is a procedure preformed through several small incisions with the aid of a fiber optic camera and other specialized instruments. During the surgery an adjustable band is placed around the top part of the stomach to create a small gastric pouch to avoid cutting the intestines. A portion of the tube connects the band to the adjusting port that is placed under the skin in the abdominal wall allowing easy access for adjustments. The inner lining of the band is a balloon that is filled with saline to narrow the opening of the stomach, limiting the amount of food that is able to pass. Saline is either added or withdrawn through a needle and syringe placed in the port. Both the surgery and adjustments are minimally painful. The best part of the Lap-Band is that it is totally adjustable and reversible. So if for example a patient becomes pregnant the physician would simply drain the band for the duration of the pregnancy and then slowly refill it after the baby is born. Although it is not necessary to remove the band after one reaches the goal weight but it is possible to do so. Provided patients follow the instruction by choosing the right foods and exercise after the procedure most patients will lose between 50 and 75% of the excess weight. The Lap-Band is said to be much safer than other weight loss surgeries mainly because it is minimally invasive and the weight comes off at a much slower rate than with surgeries such as the gastric bypass. The Lap-Band is designed for those who have dealt with morbid obesity for a long period of time. I conducted two interviews to find requirements for having the surgery. The first was with a nurse from a Dr. John Pennings office in post falls. One is generally 100 pounds or more over weight, with a minimum age of 16 and a maximum of 65. A require BMI of 30-60 and proven 3 weight loss technique failures. It is not necessary to have a physician referral to have the surgery performed. Once these requirements have been met there is a list of things that must be done before the physician will perform the surgery. Through Dr. Jennings office the list is as follows: 1. You must attend a lecture on the procedure, 2. You must have a personal consultation with a counselor, 3. You must pay the fees, 4. You need a mental health evaluation, a dietician evaluation and a physical evaluation, 5. You must attend some pre-operative groups. After the surgery a patient can expect to spend one day in the hospital, then 2-3 days of limited activity. I have also interviewed a woman named Liz Englebert who has had the surgery performed. She reports that in 7 months she has lost 125 pounds. For the first six weeks she was on a recovery diet with levels of food types. First was a liquid diet, which then moved in to pureed food, such as yogurts etc. After you can handle those you move to mechanical softs, finally to solid foods. There are some foods you may not be able to have anymore but that depends on the patient. Liz states " The order of priority of food is proteins first, then veggie, carbs , breads, and extremely limited sugars." The lap_band gives you a feeling of being full and limits food intake. Liz said that if she over eats her stomach won 't take it, but "it is not like vomiting it 's more like coughing up a hair ball." The Lap-Band trains patients to eat slower and in moderation. Patients are also encouraged to engage in physical daily activity. Patients are also encouraged to take vitamins as they may not get all of the nutrition they need with the diet changes.