subject: Dallas Bariatric Surgeons Consider Lap Band Surgery To Be Safest [print this page] Anyone in the Dallas area considering bariatric surgery to treat his or her obesity will quickly discover that many choices are available, each designed to help a person lose weight through various means. The most commonly performed weight loss surgery is the gastric bypass procedure. Laparoscopic gastric banding, sometimes called lap band surgery, comes in as a close second. Gastric banding, however, is gaining much attention from bariatric surgeons and patients alike for its relatively low risk of complication during and after surgery. In addition, several studies show that lap band surgery is the safest weight loss procedure available in the US.
One of the reasons laparoscopic gastric band surgery is considered the safest option is that it is minimally invasive. With this procedure, a bariatric surgeon uses a laparoscope to place a bandsuch as a Lap-Band or Realize bandaround the top of the stomach. In contrast, gastric bypass surgery requires the surgeon to cut and staple the stomach, creating a small pouch, and then attaching the pouch to part of the small intestine.
The complexity of the gastric bypass puts the patient at greater risk of complication. A five-year study by the Legacy Good Samaritan Obesity Institute concluded that lap band surgery has half the rate of potentially life-threatening complications and two-thirds the rate of overall complications when compared to gastric bypass. Also, gastric bypass patients on average spend twice as long in surgery and in the hospital as those who undergo lap band surgeries.
Life long after surgery is also safer for gastric banding patients. The band contributes to weight loss by restricting part of the stomach and limiting the amount of food the person can intake at one time. The gastric bypass, on the other hand, prevents the bodys absorption of calories and nutrients in addition to restricting food intake. While the gastric band can be adjusted or removed later on, the gastric bypass is permanent. In an article for The Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques, researchers cited these factors among others when determining lap band surgery to be the most favorable initial treatment for obesity.
Bariatric surgeons approach each of their patients individually when considering which treatments to use. However, there is much evidence to suggest that lap band surgery may be the safe and effective option for many surgical candidates. Those interested in more information are encouraged to register for an upcoming seminar on weight loss options.
