According to the Mayo Clinic, as of 2009, 1/3 of adults in the United States are considered obese, with obesity defined as having a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or above. A lap-band surgery can offer a quick solution to those with a BMI of 35 or higher by limiting how much food can be consumed at one sitting, but the Mayo Clinic warns any weight-loss surgery will not work if additional weight-loss measures are not taken.
Restrictive Surgery
The complete medical term for the lap-band procedure is laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB). It is considered to be a "restrictive" procedure in that it restricts the stomach and the amount of food it can hold.
Considerations
The Mayo Clinic states lap-band surgery should be considered if your BMI is 40 or higher, or if it's 35 to 40 and you also have health complication from the excess weight such as high blood sugar or diabetes.
Procedure
Surgeons make small incisions in the abdomen to be fit a small camera and the tools necessary to complete the procedure, then divide the stomach into two sections using a lap band that is filled with a saline solution.
Benefits
Since the portion of the stomach where food comes in is smaller, patients feel fuller after eating less food, with weight loss as a result. A small opening through the lap band from the upper stomach half to the lower half ensures food can also leave the stomach at a slower rate, making the "feeling full" sensation last longer.
Warning
The Mayo Clinic notes lap-band surgery can potentially have serious complications; infection, blood clots, pneumonia and gallstones are possibilities. The procedure will also not work if additional behavioral changes--eating less, exercising more--are not made post-surgery.
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