How the Procedure Works

Lap Band surgery is technically called laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. The goal of the surgery is to help the patient achieve significant weight loss by limiting the amount of food that the stomach can hold at one time. Other bariatric surgeries involve actually changing the size of the stomach, or bypassing portions of the stomach altogether. Lap Band surgery is different, because it does not cut the stomach at all.

Instead, this surgery makes the stomach smaller by placing a silicone band around the upper portion of the organ. The band is a hollow tube that is filled with sterile saline, which makes it completely adjustable. It creates a pouch where the food that the patient eats enters to begin the digestive process. The pouch has an opening that allows the food to flow slowly into the rest of the stomach. This opening can be made smaller or larger depending on the patient’s needs by changing the amount of saline in the band. The band is put in place laparoscopically, which reduces much of the trauma on the body caused by stomach stapling or rerouting procedures.

After the patient is under anesthetic, the physician will begin the procedure by making several small incisions into the abdominal wall. The instruments for the surgery are inserted through tubes placed in these incisions. One such tool is a camera that shows the physician what is happening inside the body. Using small surgical instruments, the band is put in place and secured around the stomach. Once it is in place, the instruments and tubes are removed, the incisions are closed, and the surgery is complete.

Weight Loss After Surgery

The weight loss surgery creates a small gastric pouch at the top of the stomach. This pouch limits how much food the patient can eat. It also slows down the rate at which the stomach can empty into the intestines, effectively slowing the digestion rate. This allows the patient to feel full for a longer period of time.

Sometimes patients who have Lapband surgery do not experience enough weight loss or lose weight too rapidly. Either problem can be resolved by adjusting the band to allow more or less food through the opening. Adjusting the LapBand device is simple, because an access port is placed just underneath the skin during the surgery. A thin needle can add or remove saline from the band through this port whenever the patient’s doctor thinks it is necessary, and this procedure takes just a few minutes to do.

Weight loss for patients who have Lap Band surgery occurs for two reasons. First, the patient is eating less due to the smaller size of his stomach and the fact that he is feeling full longer. Second, patients who have this procedure done must carefully consider what they eat for its nutritional value, because they are eating much less than they did before. This helps to control weight as well, since healthy foods are chosen over junk foods. Because of the minimally invasive nature of this weight loss surgery, coupled with the high rate of success for patients who have it done, many obese individuals are choosing Lap Band surgery as their permanent weight loss solution.

Laparoscopic weight loss surgery is designed to induce weight loss by limiting food consumption. The adjustable gastric band is the safest surgical procedure for weight loss, unique because it is adjustable and reversible. When doing research for lap band Toronto surgery, be sure to visit the CIBO Weight Loss Clinic.

It will be most important for you to:

• Maintain a liquid diet for 3 weeks until the band heals in place
• When you are back on solid foods, remember to chew, chew, chew!
• Eat several small meals throughout the day with only one or two ounces of lean protein per day and one or two servings of fruit
• Make sure to take the recommended supplements ( vitamins such as A, D, E, Calcium, Iron and B1, B12)
• Attend every check up to the lap band surgeon for adjustments (fills) – usually every 6-8 weeks

If you follow the above carefully, you will enjoy a smooth transition into your new, and healthier, lifestyle. Make sure to follow all of the instructions provided by your surgeon.

Prior to leaving the lap band surgery clinic, you will be visited by the dietitian who will impart valuable knowledge about your diet after going through the Adjustable Gastric Lap Band surgery. The dietitian will tell you that you are to adhere to a strict clear liquid diet, and if you fail to follow this simple instruction for at least 4 to 5 days, you may suffer from band erosion or slippage which would be harmful to your health.

Love coffee, tea or other caffeinated drinks? I’m sorry to say that you are recommended against drinking these types of drinks for the first 90 days after your lap band procedure. Carbonated drinks like Coca Cola and Diet Coke are also a huge no-no. If you do not heed this warning, you will suffer from gas and bloating which will affect the result of your surgery.

In a nutshell, it is vital to follow a proper diet after your lap band procedure and if not, your efforts will all be for naught. Make sure you listen to your lap band surgeon and adhere to all their recommendations to ensure a smooth transition into your new, healthy lifestyle.