Once you and your Glendora Surgeon have determined that you are a good candidate for weight loss surgery, your surgeon will recommend the best approach for your individual situation and medical history. If it is decided that you qualify for the least invasive type of surgery, the adjustable gastric band procedure may be the operation of choice.
Adjustable gastric band surgery is also referred to as Lap-Band, Gastric Band, and Adjustable Laparoscopic Banding, and regardless of the surgical name, the operation will be a restrictive weight loss procedure. This means that an adjustable band will be attached around a small section of the upper part of your stomach. You will not have any large incisions, any re-routing of intestinal organs, or any part of your stomach removed.
Adjustable Gastric Band Surgery
Before the operation, you will be given a general anesthetic so that you will be asleep during the procedure. The entire time required for the surgery is 30 to 45 minutes. After you are asleep, your surgeon will make a few small cuts in your abdomen. In one incision, the surgeon will insert a medical instrument called a laparoscope, a long, thin instrument with an attached camera to allow the surgeon a clear view of the procedure area.
A plastic tube, called a portal system, will be attached to the band and extend to a control device under the skin near your belly button. The portal system will be used to adjust the amount of the saline in the band during follow up office visits. Once the band is securely in place, the medical instruments are removed and the incisions are closed with surgical tape or sutures. You will then be moved to a recovery area for observation before being discharged or moved to your hospital room.
Recovery from Adjustable Gastric Band Surgery
Before you are discharged, you will be instructed on how to care for the surgery site, what type of dietary routine to follow as you recuperate, when you can return to normal daily activities, and when to schedule your follow up office appointments. Adjustable gastric band surgery has less pain and a faster recovery time than other Bariatric surgeries. The weight is lost at a slow, steady pace with an average of 40 to 60 percent of excess weight being lost within the first two years after the surgery.
