LAP-BAND® Surgery - Common Questions

Common LAP-BAND^® Adjustable Gastric Band Surgery Questions

• Who can benefit from this procedure?
• What are the advantages of LAP-BAND^® weight reduction surgery?
• Can anyone have this procedure?
• Where do I get additional information?

Who can benefit from this procedure?

Individuals who are described as being morbidly obese. Morbid obesity exists when a person weighs at least twice his or her ideal weight or weighs at least 100 pounds more than his or her ideal weight. People with morbid obesity are at increased risk for:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Joint problems
• Heart and vascular diseases

Weight loss has been shown to reduce these risks and increase quality of life. back to top

Where do I get additional information?

Educational seminars are held three times a month to give those people who are interested in having adjustable gastric band surgery an opportunity to learn more about the surgery and life after the surgery. Attendees are able to ask questions and to meet others who have already had this surgery. Registration is required.

For information, call HealthAccess at 1.800.228.1484 or 1.810.989.3199.You may also send an email to healthaccess@porthuronhospital.org and they will send you an information kit. Please include your mailing address when emailing. back to top

Advantages of adjustable gastric band weight reduction surgery

While some individuals find they are able to lose weight and maintain their weight loss by watching what they eat and exercising, many others are discouraged when they regain weight they have lost. It's not uncommon for people who have lost weight by dieting to gain even more weight than they lost. Surgery to reduce the capacity of the stomach and decrease the appetite can help to reduce weight. Advantages of the LAP-BAND^® procedure over other types of surgery are numerous:

• Less invasive - performed using laparoscopy, there are very small incisions and there is no cutting or stapling of the stomach.
• Adjustable -- in many cases, there is no follow-up operation necessary to modify the opening.
• Reversible -- use of the LAP-BAND^® avoids irreversible damage. It can be removed and the stomach can return to its original form.
• Shorter hospital stay -- patients normally leave the hospital within 23 hours after this laparoscopic procedure, rather than four to eight days following surgery involving a larger abdominal incision. patients do remain in the hospital overnight.
• Quicker recovery -- following laparoscopic procedures with no complications, patients generally resume normal activities within a couple weeks. With more complicated procedures, recovery times are generally longer. back to top 

Can anyone have this procedure?

The following criteria are recommended. Talk with your physician or surgeon about whether you would be a good candidate for the surgery. Your surgeon may have additional criteria.

• You are age 18 and older
• You weigh twice the ideal weight or 100 pounds more than the ideal weight
• You have been overweight for more than five years
• Your serious attempts to lose weight have not been successful over the long term
• You are not suffering from any other disease which could have caused you to be overweight.
• You are prepared to make substantial changes in your eating habits and lifestyle, and to continue being monitored by the specialist treating you.
• You do not drink alcohol in excess. back to top