What You Need To Know About Lap-band And Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

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By Timothy Brown


Bariatric weight loss surgery is a procedure that has continue to grow steadily in recent times in New York. There are three main types of bariatric surgeries that are performed. These include gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass surgery. While some differences exist among these procedures, the manner in which they work is similar. Lap-band and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy have the best outcomes hence are the most commonly performed.

When one is trying to lose weight, they need to first consider the conservative methods. Such will include for instance modifying the diet and making it healthier. The intake of carbohydrates and fats should be reduced and that of fruits and vegetables increased. You need to exercise regularly to help burn excess fats and prevent unnecessary weight gain. These options need to be tried out for at least 6 months before being considered ineffective.

To choose between banding and gastrectomy, one has to fully understand the benefits and risks associated with each of them. One of the major similarities is that both of them can be effectively performed using the open technique or laparoscopy. The major difference is that in gastrectomy the stomach has to be cut surgically while no cutting is involved in banding. For this reason banding is reversible while gastrectomy is not.

When the open technique is to be used to perform banding, a large incision has to be made in the anterior abdominal region. Such will allow the surgeon to visualize the abdominal structures directly and can place the band around the stomach with ease. In the case of laparoscopy, the incisions that are needed are a lot smaller and the doctor has to rely on images projected on to a monitor to perform the procedure.

Gastrectomy is simply the cutting and removal of a segment of a stomach. In a single operation, between 75 and 80% is usually removed. What is left behind is a small pouch that takes the shape of a sleeve (thus the name of the operation). The laparoscopic method is preferred over the open technique. Once the required part has been cut off, the rest is stitched back using sutures or stitches.

There are a number of complications that potential candidates need to be aware of. These include, among others, excessive loss of blood, accidental injury to internal organs and postoperative infections. The loss of stitches or staples used in closure may be seen in very rare circumstances. When it occurs, it leads to leakage of digested foods and acids which may in turn lead to chemical injury of various organs.

When the size of the stomach is reduced, the amount of food that can be consumed by an individual is also reduced. Smaller stomachs tend to fill faster hence the individual will experience early satiety. When 80% of the organ is removed, a significant size or the surface area is also removed meaning that the absorptive capacity is reduced. The end result of all these is steady weight loss whose effects will become evident within weeks and months.

Bariatric operations can be performed in a wide range of patients. However, there are conditions that may make the procedures risky in some of them. Systemic conditions such as hyperthyroidism and uncontrolled diabetes may require that some form of intervention takes place first before the procedure takes place. The same case applies to conditions that are restricted to the gastrointestinal system such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and peptic ulcer disease.




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