Reasons
Lap band surgery is done to treat morbid obesity. Its goal is to create a smaller stomach pouch that restricts the amount of food a person can consume at one time, according to the Mayo Clinic. The band can be loosened if a person is losing weight too fast, or tightened if he's not losing enough weight. Changes in the band are done slowly over the first year to help prevent complications.
Mechanism
During surgery, a band is placed around the stomach to create a small pouch. Within this band is a tube that can be filled with saline to tighten the band. According to Banner Health Bariatric centers, swelling occurs right after surgery, so tightening the band too much right after surgery could cause vomiting and other complications. The saline tube is initially left unfilled, according to "A Consumer Guide to Lap-band Surgery," and is initially filled four to six weeks after surgery.
Process
The band is adjusted periodically by the surgeon by injecting saline--a water and salt solution--into the port. The port is accessed by using a needle to pierce the skin and enter the port. Removing fluid from the port loosens the band; putting in more fluid makes the band tighter. Adjusting the lap band is not a one-time event. Over the course of the first 18 months after surgery, the band must be adjusted six to eight times, according to "The Consumer's Guide to Bariatric Surgery," and one to two times a year thereafter, according to Banner Health.
After Filling
After filling is completed, you must drink only liquids for 24 hours, according to Dr. Terry Simpson of the Surgical Specialty hospital in Arizona. He says certain foods are more likely to become stuck after an adjustment and should be avoided. These include chicken, bread, pasta, sticky rice and rubbery eggs. Nuts and shrimp should also be avoided, because they can get stuck in the band. Vomiting is a sign that the band may be too tight.
It can take a week or two to tell if the new fill is working properly, so Dr. Simpson recommends giving it at least that much time before having another fill, unless you have complications like vomiting. According to the Banner Health Bariatric Centers, a band that's too tight can actually result in weight gain because patients will take in more high calories liquids, which are often high in fat, sugar and calories, rather than healthier choices such as fruits and vegetables since liquids go easily past the band.
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