Losing weight isn’t an easy thing to do, but it can be necessary for health reasons. When everything else has failed, some obese people turn to bariatric surgery, like lap band surgery in Houston TX. There are a variety of procedures that fall under the umbrella of weight loss surgery, but they all attempt to help people who can’t make anything else work lose weight.
There are a variety of options for bariatric surgery, but only three that are commonly performed now. They are gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass. The methods of surgery vary, but the goal is the same for each– to create a smaller stomach that gets full faster.
The oldest bariatric surgery still used, gastric bypass is the traditional form of weight loss surgery. A gastric bypass staples the stomach into a smaller pouch, and then re-routes the small intestine to meet up with that pouch. Because of the size of the pouch, patients are limited to very small meals while feeling full quickly, after surgery. The main disadvantages of gastric bypass is that nutritional deficits can sometimes occur because the food doesn’t go through the small intestine, where some nutrients are absorbed.
A sleeve gastrectomy removes about 85 percent of the normal stomach, but does it longitudinally, so that the stomach which remains is more like a long tube. One advantage is that it is usually performed via laproscopic surgery, which means less recovery time and risk. Another is that it doesn’t usually cause nutritional deficiencies like gastric bypass, because the stomach empties normally into the small intestine.
Lap band surgery is a type of bariatric surgery called gastric banding. In this type of surgery, a band that can be filled with saline is wrapped around the stomach near the top, leaving a golf-ball sized bit of stomach above the band. This small stomach fills very quickly and drains slowly through the band into the rest of the stomach. Patients report feeling full after filling the top bit of stomach, and there is less risk of nutritional deficits because all of the normal organs are still in place.
A lap band is adjusted by injecting saline into a small port that is installed under the skin on the patient’s abdomen or chest. Increasing the amount of fluid in the band tightens it, and increases weight loss. Removing fluid from the band loosens it, which is usually used to alleviate any side effects that may occur. The fact that patients must see their doctors on a regular basis for band adjustments is one of the downsides of the band.
One of the advantages of the lap band surgery is that it is constantly adjustable. While some patients with other types of bariatric surgery eat more and more as time goes on, and stretch out their new smaller stomachs, the lap band can be tightened to preserve weight loss effects. As it requires fewer incisions and is generally done laproscopically, the lap band has less risk of post-surgery complications.
Weight loss surgery is not something to be taken lightly. It is major surgery with the potential for complications, so a careful consideration of the risks is necessary. But some people, like those that choose to receive lap band surgery in Houston TX, can see immense improvements in their health, confidence, and self-esteem. The decision isn’t one to be made lightly, but if you are a bariatric surgery candidate, do some research before you decide.
Get complete details and information about the advantages of lap band surgery. When you are considering lap band Houston, finding a knowledgeable professional will be important.