Why to Use the Lap Band Over Gastric Bypass?

People have a natural curiosity about gastric surgery intended to aid weight loss. It can seem like a "magic bullet" for those who are severely obese. However, weight-loss surgery does not mean you will instantly and permanently lose the unwanted extra pounds. It requires a commitment to a change in eating habits. Gastric bypass is one form of weight-loss surgery that removes portions of the stomach and intestine. Gastric banding leaves all organs intact, and places an adjustable band around the stomach to make it smaller. If you are considering bariatric surgery, you may wonder if you should choose gastric banding, which you may have heard of as the trademarked Lap-Band procedure, over gastric bypass.

Less Invasive Surgery

• Of all the types of weight-loss surgery, gastric banding is the least invasive. For most patients, the surgery is laparoscopic. This means that instead of a large incision, the surgeon makes several small incisions and inserts a narrow camera into one of the openings. The other openings are used for inserting surgical instruments to perform the banding. According to the National Institutes of Health, laparoscopic surgery is faster than open surgery and exposes a person to fewer surgical risks. Furthermore, no organs are removed or altered as they are in other types of weight-loss surgery.

Faster Recovery

• Because the surgery is laparoscopic, recovery time is much shorter than with other forms of gastric bypass surgery. According to the National Institutes of Health, most people will be able to go home the day after the gastric band surgery, as opposed to staying in the hospital for three to five days after gastric bypass surgery. This is because no organs are altered or removed for gastric banding as they are in gastric bypass. There is also less scarring with gastric banding because the incisions made for the surgery are smaller than those made for gastric bypass surgery.

Adjusts to Needs

• Gastric banding puts a saline-filled band around the stomach, which squeezes the stomach and reduces the amount of food able to fit in it. According to the National Institutes of Health, the gastric band is adjustable without further surgery. Instead, the surgeon will insert a needle into the containment section of the band and either add or remove saline to make the band tighter or looser. This allows a person to increase the size of the stomach to make digestion easier if that is an issue, or to decrease the size of the stomach to encourage further weight loss.

Reversible

• Gastric bypass surgery is a major form of surgery that removes a portion of the small intestine and often a portion of the stomach as well. In some cases, the stomach may remain in the body, but it will be surgically "stapled" to reduce the size. It is extremely difficult to reverse gastric bypass surgery because of the organ removal. On the other hand, gastric banding involves a band placed around the stomach. This band can be removed with a future surgery if a person who has one decides they no longer wish to have the band in place.

Warning

• Gastric banding comes with many risks and complications, although it is marginally safer than gastric bypass. With all surgery, there is a risk of infection, excessive blood loss and death. Gastric banding can also cause internal scarring, malnutrition and excessive chronic vomiting. It is also possible for the band to slip out of place, requiring further surgery to remove it or return it to the original position. It is important to follow your doctor's nutritional recommendations, including supplements and foods to avoid, to ensure you maintain the best possible health after gastric banding.