Would You Make Suitable For Lap Band Weight Loss Surgery?

There are several types of obesity surgery available nowadays including the reasonably new surgical procedure of gastric lap banding which is rising in popularity and is rapidly becoming the preferred choice for a significant number of morbidly obese people. But could you be a suitable candidate for gastric lap band weight loss surgery?

In providing an answer to this question we will start by assuming that you are suitable for obesity surgery generally and that your only concern therefore is whether you should consider lap banding. In very simple terms this means that you are over the age of 18, are morbidly obese with a body mass index (BMI) in excess of 40 (or in excess of 35 with at least one co-morbid condition and that you have previously tried traditional weight loss methods (including possible drug treatment) without success.

It is often believed that individuals considering weight loss surgery are simply overweight and it is very easy to forget that individuals who are extremely overweight are generally suffering from several other conditions, many of which result from the fact that they are overweight. It is the existence of these other conditions that usually presents an obstacle when it comes to choosing between different surgical options.

As lap banding is a form of restrictive surgery where the stomach is physically restricted in size to limit the quantity of food which can be passed through the stomach and digestive system, this form of surgery is probably not going to be suitable if your esophagus, stomach or intestine are abnormal. An abnormality could be either inherited or acquired and a common difficulty experienced is a narrowing at one or more points along the digestive tract.

Difficulties with the stomach or esophagus which may result in bleeding (like esophageal or gastric varices – a dilated vein) would also make gastric lap band surgery impractical, as will problems at the site where the band is to be placed around the stomach, like an injury, scarring or gastric perforation.

Difficulties might also arise if you are suffering from any form of inflammation or inflammatory disease in the gastrointestinal tract such as esophagitis, ulcers or Crohn’s disease.

Finally, lap band surgery is not considered suitable for pregnant women or for women who are considering pregnancy. Should pregnancy occur following lap band surgery the band can be deflated to allow for the increased nutritional requirement however, where loosening the band is not enough, the band could need to be removed.

One advantage of lap band weight loss surgery is that the operation is reversible and, if it proves necessary, the band can be removed returning the stomach to its previous state. However, this can also be a disadvantage of the system. Motivation is the key to any form of obesity surgery but is a particularly important issue when it comes to lap banding. If you have any doubt about your determination to succeed then this type of surgery may not be a good choice for you.