Weight loss surgery can be done for patients who are obese and unable to lose sufficient weight via a diet and exercise regimen. Gastric sleeve and Lap-Band procedures are two surgical options that are similarly effective but have several important differences.
Lap-Band Procedure
Laparoscopic banding works via the surgical placement of a band around the stomach, LapBand.com explains. This band is used to divide the stomach into two sections: a small chamber at the top where food collects and a larger chamber in the bottom where digested food passes into the intestines.
Gastric Sleeve Procedure
With a gastric sleeve procedure, a portion of the stomach is cut away, states the About Weight Loss Surgery website. The remaining stomach tissue is then sewn up to form a thin tube where food collects. Part of the removed portion of the stomach creates chemical signals that make patients feel hunger; as a result, this procedure makes it hard for patients to feel hunger.
Risks
Both procedures can result in bleeding and infection, according to the About Weight Loss Surgery website. Gastric sleeve procedures are more invasive and have a longer recovery time; they are also permanent. Lapaproscopic banding is reversible, but there is the risk of the band slipping or shifting, resulting in nausea and pain.
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casey451 December 7
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