

Most patients experience at least one side effect when they have a LAP-BAND. Patients must be mindful of eating carefully with the band. This can be uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. It is also possible for food to get stuck, if you take bites that are too big or do not chew your food very carefully. Foods like chocolate or ice cream are easy to eat with the band, so it is important that patients commit to the eating changes that need to go with the surgery in order for it to be successful. The most serious side effects required either another operation or hospitalization.īecause of the LAP-BAND design, it can be tempting to ‘cheat’ on your diet. Common side effects include nausea and vomiting, heartburn, abdominal pain, and slippage of the band. Most patients experienced at least one side effect. Because the LAP-BAND has no risk of malabsorption, there would be no extra vitamin deficiencies to worry about. When part of the stomach is removed or the intestines are rerouted, patients’ bodies absorb fewer nutrients which can lead to negative health consequences, especially if they do not follow their vitamin and supplement routine. The LAP-BAND also does not have a malabsorption risk, like other procedures. No cutting or stapling is done, and the anatomy of the body is not changed at all when the gastric band is put in place. Although the band is meant to stay in place permanently, if there are side effects or other reasons to remove it, this is an option. Each patient is different, so as time goes on you will work with our team and can call the office any time your band feels too loose or too full.Īnother advantage of the band is that it is reversible. Adding fluid makes the band tighter, and removing fluid makes the band looser. This means that the surgeon can change the level of fluid in your band at a quick office visit. Another advantage of this weight loss treatment is that the band is adjustable. LAP-BAND patients often return to work in just a week or two. Gastric banding is the most simple of the bariatric surgery options, and leads to the smallest number of serious complications. Learn about the adjustments of the band post-op below. The port is connected to the band by the tubing.
#Gastric bypass revisions skin
This access port is placed under the skin in a muscle in the chest wall. The doctor does this by injecting or removing the fluid through a small button-like part called the access port. This adjustment is made by adding or removing fluid inside the hollow band. Deflating the band makes it wider, and causes food to pass more quickly. Inflating the band makes the opening smaller, causing food to pass more slowly. The system helps the patient eat less by limiting the amount of food that can be eaten at one time and increasing the time it takes for food to be digested.ĭepending on the patient’s needs, after the device is implanted via the initial surgery the narrowed opening between the pouch and the lower part of the stomach can be adjusted in size by inflating or deflating the hollow band. The narrowed opening between the stomach pouch and the rest of the stomach controls how quickly food passes from the pouch to the lower part of the stomach. In the surgical procedure, the band is placed around the upper part of the stomach, creating a small pouch that can hold only a small amount of food. Watch Video How does the Lap-Band surgery work? In certain patients, we can do this with a single incision in your belly button, so a scar is barely noticeable. Following the initial surgery, the band itself can be tightened or loosened over time to change the size of the passage by increasing or decreasing the amount of salt solution. The band is then inflated with a salt solution.

Popularly known as the LAP-BAND®, a gastric band is a hollow band made of special material that is placed around the stomach near its upper end, creating a small pouch and a narrow passage into the larger remainder of the stomach.
