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Expected Weight Loss From Lap Band Surgery

It sounds so simple: shrink your stomach and start to lose weight. If you've battled excess weight for years, you may have an interest in Lap-Band surgery. Many people have lost significant amounts of weight following the surgery. Like any weight loss plan, realistic expectations play a key role in determining success. Here's a look at how much weight you can expect to lose after Lap-Band surgery, and some of the factors that could affect your progress.

  1. Function

    • Lap-Band surgery is a minimally invasive procedure. It involves placing a belt around the upper portion of the stomach, shrinking the organ to a fraction of its normal size. Weight loss occurs because the reduced stomach cannot hold as much food. Patients may feel full much sooner after they start to eat. If patients overeat, the stomach may reject the excess food.

    Expectations

    • According to the Department of Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center, you can expect to lose 40 to 60 percent of your excess weight in a two-year period. The Methodist Medical Center of Illinois suggests that equals about 60 pounds in the first year for most Lap-Band candidates.

    Preparation

    • According to Columbia University, success with gastric banding requires motivation and a willingness to change your eating habits. Following Lap-Band surgery, you will need to eat much smaller portions, eat more slowly and give food time to digest before eating again.

    Support Services

    • To meet their expected weight loss, some people may need counseling before surgery. These include people with poor eating habits or psychological issues behind their weight gain. Nutritional counseling can teach healthy food choices and better eating habits. If you eat out of boredom, to cope with stress or to deal with loneliness, surgery will not cure your issues. You may need mental health counseling along with learning better eating habits.

    Limiting Factors

    • Temple University Hospital's Bariatric Surgery Program warns that even after Lap-Band surgery, it is possible to gain weight. Eating fatty, high-calorie foods, drinking milkshakes and soft foods, or eating consistently throughout the day can defeat the purpose of the Lap-Band.

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