Gastric Banding – A Type of Laparoscopy
Gastric bands, also known as lap bands, are used in laparoscopic surgery. They are used as a part of bariatric surgery, in order to facilitate weight loss. The adjustable band is used to reduce a person’s food intake after the surgery. The patient who undergoes this procedure will feel content after a minor intake, and refrain from eating further food.
Physicians normally adjust the band to control the food intake. The gastric banding technique is used only if the patient has tried dieting and exercising for a considerable period and failed. Laparoscopy can be allowed only if the patient fulfils the criteria laid down by the medical authority. Generally, it is performed on people with extreme obesity.
It provides all the benefits that are associated with laparoscopic surgery, including a significant reduction in abdominal pain and blood loss. People with a history of complex medical problems are not allowed to take up this surgery. This procedure is also treated as a last resort, and it is always used only after an obese individual tries to lose weight with other proven techniques. Gastric bands are made of a special type of rubber, which can be tightened or loosened to control the entry of food into the digestive tract.
Gastric bands are placed using a laparoscope inside the stomach. The procedure is similar to laparoscopy. The first step is to create a small incision, and through this small incision, the laparoscopic tube is inserted. The video camera fixed to the tip of the tube is used to capture the images of the inside of the abdominal wall.
Through the camera, the images are streamed to a monitor placed outside. The surgeon can view the stomach and complete the surgery. The upper part of the stomach is blocked to create a pouch, just like a baby stomach. This pouch helps in limiting the food intake. Once this is done, the patient automatically loses weight. It has been clinically proven that many patients report vast improvements in their health. As the patients’ health improves after the surgery, the gastric banding can be adjusted to allow a little more food inside the stomach. Laparoscopy has proven to be very useful to thousands of obese men and women across the globe.
Gastric bands have their fair share of disadvantages too. They can cause injuries to the stomach. Sometimes, these bands may induce vomiting. It is advisable to use only FDA-approved gastric bands for laparoscopic surgery.
Trained and experienced surgeons and nurses must be recruited to minimize the risks of gastric bypass surgery. With a little care, gastric banding can be effectively used as a weight-loss procedure. Patients must follow the instructions both before the surgery and after. They must be careful about their food intake and visit the doctor after the surgery for follow up appointments.
It has been noted that gastric bands provide an effective technique to lose weight, though the degree of weight lost is lesser than what is achieved through other surgeries like gastric bypass surgery.
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