A look at the lap band complications

Laparoscopic Gastric banding is shortly and popularly called as the Lapband surgery. It is one of the several types of Bariatric surgeries done to control severe obesity. This surgery is considered as the least invasive laparoscopic procedure and doesn’t involve any kind of cutting or stapling. In this procedure, a silicone band is inserted and applied around the uppermost portion of the stomach. The silicone band is completely adjustable. The constriction of the stomach can be determined by the injection of the saline into the expandable ring. This restricts the food intake.

Some of the risks of lap band surgery are:

• Bleeding
• Blood clots in the legs that may travel up to the lungs.
• Perforation of the stomach or esophagus during the surgery.
• Spleen or liver damage
• Erosion of the band into the lining of the stomach
• Nausea, vomiting, acid reflux
• Heartburns
• Stomach ulcer
• Problems while swallowing of the food
• Dehydration
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Weight regain

It is always a good idea to know about the risks of the surgery that you are going to have before taking the plunge. The major risks of gastric band surgery are:

• The biggest risk of any surgery like gastric bypass Mexico, lap band, gastric sleeve gastrectomy etc. is the risk of infection. The types of infections that are possible in the case of the lap band surgery are:
1. Infection of the surgical wounds
2. Abdominal infection
3. Port infection
• Malignant Hyperthermia: In this, there is an uncontrolled rise in the body temperature of the patient. It’s a kind of allergy due to the medications.
• The band when inflated squeezes the stomach to create the desired diameter of the opening for the food to pass. It’s normal for some level of swelling to occur but sometimes, there may be excessive swelling which may create a blockage of the stomach and the food may be completely unable to pass.

Lap Band costs

Weight loss surgeries are generally a costly affair. The rising health costs have further increased their costs. The general rule is – more the weight more is the cost. A recent study shows that the amount spent by a severely obese person on healthcare costs is $1,566 more than the normal person. In addition, the study also revealed that an extremely obese person spent $2,845 more than the normal person. So, it’s better to get the lap band surgery now than later as extra weight only increases the surgery costs.

The best candidates for the lap band surgery are the persons who have a BMI of 40 kg per meter square or a BMI of 30 kg per meter square with one or more obesity related conditions. It is only indicated for persons who have tried other weight loss techniques like supervised diet, exercise etc. and failed. Also, if they choose to go for it they have to make significant changes in their eating habits for the rest of their lives.

There is no disregarding the fact that the Lap band is a fairly simple and less problematic surgery. Also, it is not a very pricey surgery like sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass surgery. The average lap band cost is estimated to be $14,000. Also, you can directly pay through cash without going through the hassle of an insurance company. If you fulfill the basic requirements for the lap band surgery, you can have the surgery done as soon as your surgeon can give you an appointment. And if you are getting an insurance done then the lap band surgery cost may also cover the nutritionist costs and lap band fills. So, all in all, it is a win- win situation for the obese.

 

Gastric sleeve plication surgery facts

Restrictive technique has become a popular technique in the last few years. It is being widely used by surgeons in weight loss surgeries. The latest example of it’s usage is the greater curvature plication surgery. This surgery is a bariatric surgery for weight-loss and is a minimally invasive method for weight-loss.

Greater curvature plication is popularly called as gastric sleeve plication. This surgery is also performed laparoscopically and works almost like the gastric sleeve surgery. It doesn’t involve any kind of cutting or stapling. Also, there is no bypassing of intestines.

During this surgery, a laparoscope and other small instruments are placed inside the abdomen by making small incisions. A calibration tube is also passed orally through the stomach. After this, the stomach is folded into itself to form a small capacity pouch. The folding is done using non-dissolvable sutures. The folding is mostly done along outer edge of the abdomen. The reduction in the capacity of the abdomen is variable. It may vary from 60% to 85% of the original size. The advantage of this reduced capacity is that the patient gets full sooner and they tend to eat less. This in turn helps in the weight-loss.

Unlike gastric bypass surgery and lap-band, this procedure is a relatively new procedure and not much research has been done on this. So, not much is known about it’s side-effects. However, it’s benefits are many. The biggest benefit is that this surgery is reversible. The fold that has been placed on the stomach can be removed any time by removing the sutures. Also, this surgery doesn’t affect the digestive system in any way. It remains intact after the surgery. Also, the patient can easily recover from this surgery as only small incisions are made and they get healed easily and quickly. Also, the patient can keep on eating whatever he likes. Not many restrictions are placed on the variety of foods to be consumed.

Advantages of Lap Band

The number of obese people in the world is at an all time high and so, the number of weight loss surgeries is on the rise. Many techniques like gastric sleeve plication, lap band, gastric bypass etc are being used by surgeons around the world. Most of these surgeries are bariatric surgeries and minimally invasive.

One of the major weight loss surgeries being performed around the world is gastric band procedure. This surgery works by reducing the capacity of the stomach by the placement of a band around the stomach opening. This reduces the amount of food that can enter the stomach at a time. This surgery should be opted for when other alternatives like diet and exercise have failed. Let us have a look at some of the other major advantages of Lapland:

1. This procedure is a minimally invasive process. It is a completely laparoscopic process. In it, small incisions are made to place an inflatable silicon band around the stomach. Then, this band is tightened to form a new small pouch. This new pouch helps to limit the amount of food entering the stomach. This makes the patient feel full sooner and thus, helps to control the food intake and helps in weight loss.

2. This procedure is also the least traumatic procedure as there is no cutting or stapling involved. The post-operative pain is also very less as compared to the other weight loss techniques. Also, the recovery is quick.

3. The Lap band procedure is a reversible and adjustable process. The lap band can be adjusted from time to time to meet the requirements of the patient. It can be customized to get any rate of weight loss. For example, during pregnancy this band can be adjusted to accommodate the growing baby. The size of the band is modified using a saline solution.

Gastric sleeve procedure facts

Gastric sleeve is one of those procedures that works by removing a portion of the stomach. The portion that is left is sleeve shaped and has a capacity of about 60 to 150 cc. However, reduction of the size of the stomach doesn’t hamper its functioning in any way. Also, the outlet valve and the nerves to the stomach remain in their original shape and size. But one thing that should be kept in mind while going for this surgery is that it is irreversible.

What this technique exactly does is that it will reduce the amount of food that is consumed. This can also be said to be the greatest advantage of this surgery. Another advantage of gastric sleeve plication is that the removal of a substantial part of the stomach also removes the parts producing hormones stimulating hunger. The fact that no bypassing of the intestinal tract is done can also be considered an added advantage. This prevents the further complications of intestinal bypass like anemia, osteoporosis, vitamin and protein deficiency etc. In fact, it can also help to curb some of the prevailing conditions like anemia, Crohn’s disease etc.

Sleeve gastrectomy surgery is best for people who

1.    Don’t want foreign objects in their body.

2.    Suffering from anemia and Crohn’s disease and can’t go for the regular weight loss programs.

3.    Are using anti-inflammatory medicines.

For such patients, this technique proves to be safer than the rest of the techniques. Persons already suffering from health risks should go for this surgery. It will  also help patients suffering from ulcers as compared to other surgeries like gastric bypass.

However, there are risks involved as well. There is always the risk of blood clots, other complications and even death. Unlike lapband , this surgery involves stapling, so,there is always the risk of bleeding or leakage also. It also increases the chances of occurrence of gallstones and gallbladder diseases. It is always best to go though all the pros and cons of any surgery like gastric band, lapband before undergoing it.

gastric band

Overview of Gastric Sleeve Plication

Gastric plication involves stitching one or more giant folds in your abdomen. Stitches are placed within the abdomen to secure the rolled abdomen wall. This reduces the abdomen volume by as much as seventy percent. As a result, the abdomen now holds the amount of food that it is accustomed to. The patient will feel fuller sooner, and this leads to weight loss.

So, how much is the weight loss? Most of the patients lose forty to sixty percent of their excess weight within one year of the stomach plication surgery. Like the alternative procedures like gastric band surgery etc. that cause large weight loss, there may be additional enhancements in the other obesity-related conditions. Some could resolve completely after the stomach plication. These may include polygenic diseases, high pressure level, sleep disorder and abnormal steroid alcohol levels.

In general, gastric plication takes one to two hours to perform. Most of the folks stay in the hospital for up to two days after the procedure. The patient may feel ill during the primary few days.

The recovery of the patient begins as soon as the bariatric surgery is over and he starts accommodating to the new way of eating. This starts with a two-week diet that possible can embody water, milk, fruit crush and ice. The subsequent few weeks can involve thicker liquids like soup with some vegetables, and eventually the patient can attempt yogurts and fruits. After this, the patient is ready to eat all foods in restricted amounts. In general, the maximum amount is four spoonfuls of food per meal. Most surgeons suggest that the patient should just take nutritious foods and avoid carbohydrates and fat.

Gastric sleeve plication doesn’t attenuate the absorption of nutrients or bypass your intestines. The patient has to still take vitamins or minerals after the surgery because the patient won’t be taking the amount as he used to, and this may end in a shortage of necessary nutrients.  As in the other surgeries like Lapband surgery, the patient should discuss this together with his doctor before his surgery, and develop an observation plan so that he can catch any deficiencies early, do they occur.