According to the Mayo Clinic, as of 2009, 1/3 of adults in the United States are considered obese. Obesity is defined as having a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or above. In addition to dietary and lifestyle changes, the lap-band surgical procedure can offer a relatively quick solution to those with a BMI of 35 or higher by limiting how much food can be consumed at one sitting.
Name
The full name of the lap-band procedure is laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB).
Laparoscopy
The procedure begins with a laparoscopy, where surgeons make about six small incisions so they can insert a camera and some tools needed to complete the procedure.
Lap Band
The lap band is an inflatable band that gets tightened around the stomach, separating it into two pouches. The top half of the stomach can handle only a limited amount of food, and there's a small opening in the band that slows food from the top half traveling to the bottom half.
Benefits
After the operation, patients have a smaller section of the stomach that's able to handle food and therefore feel fuller after eating smaller amounts of food, with weight loss as a result.
Warnings
The Mayo Clinic warns lap band surgery can potentially have severe complications, including infection, blood clots, pneumonia and gallstones. The procedure will also be ineffective if behavioral changes--eating less, exercising more--are not undertaken after the surgery.
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