jeudi 21 avril 2016

Procedures Involved In Lap-band And Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

By Joseph Foster


The use of surgery to facilitate weight loss is a practice that has continued to increase in popularity by the day. One of the reasons as to why this is the case is because great advances have been made in the surgical field resulting in operations can be performed through minimal access with very few complications. Lap-band and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy are examples of procedures that have helped many people lose unwanted weight.

It is important to stress that weight loss surgery is a last resort option. One needs to try out other modalities of weight loss. Lifestyle changes are not only easy to implement but also result in very few complications if any. Ensure that you modify your diet so that it contains less calories and has more protein, vegetables of fruits. Reduce stress, get enough sleep and exercise regularly.

This surgery is also known as gastric banding. As suggested by the name, a silicon band is used. Fitting this band on the upper portion of the stomach significantly reduces the size of your stomach. As a matter of fact the remainder is just a small pouch whose capacity is about an ounce of food. This operation is done laparoscopically meaning that very small incisions (surgical cuts) are required to see it through.

When the size of your stomach is reduced to a small pouch, the amount of food that you can consume at meal time is significantly reduced. You will notice that you get early satiety. Within weeks or months, you will start to lose weight because most of what you eat is used in the provision of energy and very little is converted to fat.

The silicon strip is connected to a long tube that is accessible from under the skin. This tube gives the surgeon and the patient control over the silicon band. One can increase or reduce the pressure exerted by the band by filling the plastic tubing with water or emptying it. Increased pressure may be needed if the pouch is too big and a reduction may be required if it is too small.

Just like the lap band operation, gastric sleeve gastrectomy is a restrictive operation. This means it limits the amount of food that one can eat in one sitting. The stomach is cut along its length to leave just a small portion of the original. Generally, between 75 and 80% of the organ is removed. What is left is a tubular structure that can only hold a fraction of the food held previously. Weight loss is through reduced food consumption and reduced absorption of nutrients.

There are a number of complications associated with these operations. These include nausea, vomiting, infections, esophageal spasms and leakage of food contents (in the case of gastrectomy). Fortunately, these complications are quite rare and can be easily managed if encountered. This notwithstanding it is important that you have a discussion with your doctor to see whether your risk is higher or lower compared to the general population.

Note that the results are not the same even when performed at the same center. The differences are due to patient as well as doctor factors. The most important patient factors include severity of condition, the type of lifestyle after the procedure and genetic factors. Doctor factors may include techniques used and skill level.




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