Lap-band surgery, or adjustable gastric band surgery, is a type of bariatric, or weight-loss surgery, that employs an elastic band to reduce the size of a patient's stomach. Lap-band is the trademark name for a gastric band manufactured by Allergan. The entire surgery is normally completed in less than an hour with the patient placed under general anesthesia. In the October 2002 issue of "Obesity Surgery," Dr. Paul O'Brien writes that the lap-band procedure is a "safe and effective" method for treating obesity. (See References 1)
Surgery Prep
A health technician will likely take pre-operative x-rays of the patient's upper gastrointestinal tract. This is normal. Everyone's anatomy is slightly different. Viewing the x-rays prior to surgery allows the surgeon to determine if there are any obstructions or unusual organ placements. After arriving in the operating room, a nurse or surgical technician will sanitize the surgical site on the patient's torso. Sterile draping is used to cover the surgical area. An anesthesiologist will administer general anesthesia, which allows the patient to remain unconscious during the lap-band procedure.
Incisions
One advantage of lap-band surgery is that the stomach is not perforated. The procedure is minimally invasive, or laparoscopic. Several incisions less than half an inch in length each are made in the abdomen. The surgeon will place a small camera through one of the incisions so that she can view the internal cavity on a monitor and perform the operation without making larger incisions.
Band Placement
The surgeon inserts the lap-band device into one of the incisions. He carefully guides the band into place and wraps it across the upper portion of the stomach, in effect creating two stomachs. The lower stomach is much larger than the upper stomach, which becomes a small pouch. Food will be stored inside the pouch before flowing through a small opening into the larger stomach. This creates a feeling of being full after eating just a small amount of food.
Band Adjustments
The surgeon then inflates the band with saline solution. The solution allows for future band adjustments by either draining saline or inflating with saline. After the band is first installed, the stomach will be able to hold only about an ounce of food. The surgeon also places a plastic tube that runs from the band to a port that is positioned under the skin. Saline is added or removed via that port.
Recovery and Follow-up
After surgery, health technicians will take the patient to a recovery room and monitor her vital signs until she awakes from anesthesia. The surgeon will then examine the patient and discuss the surgery with him before deciding if the patient can be released from the hospital or remain for further follow-up care. In the weeks following surgery, the lap-band may require readjustment. This is done in the physician's office. The doctor will also continue monitoring the patient for any potential complications arising from the surgery.
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