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Lap Band System - Page 2

Just think, this is supposed to be the 'better alternative' than having gastric bypass surgery.

System Band Lap

I have several members of my family who have had the gastric bypass done, and one that has had the lap band surgery.
First of all, there is no external cord sticking out of your body, it is a disk that is placed under the skin by which they insert a needle to fill the tube with liquid, the more liquid, the tighter the band, the less food that will be allowed through.
Secondly, this is DEFINITELY a drastic surgery, not everyone is allowed to do it, it is covered by most insurances, but you have to go through a lot of seminars, doctors appointments, and Psychiatric evaluations to qualify, it usually takes about 6 months! The surgery is only approved for those with serious medical issues, who CANNOT lose weight despite consistently following diet and exorcise programs. Most people don't understand that it is not just a question of will power, some bodies will not lose weight! My sister gained weight after a pregnancy and never could lose it, even by working out daily and eating right. After her third pregnancy she was diabetic and in serious danger of other problems. The gastric bypass saved her life.
Third, there are certain very specific differences between the lap band and bypass surgeries that should be closely evaluated. The lap band is the less invasive and safer of the two, however, most people do not choose it because it is not fool proof, and the weight loss is not a sure thing at all (although my sister-in-law lost almost 150 pounds). The bypass causes extreme weight loss, but for a somewhat alarming reason, the bypass surgery is correctly named, they bypass a portion of the small intestine and connect your stomach to directly to the lower portion of the small intestine. This causes weight loss because that area of the small intestine is the area where most calories and fats are absorbed into the body. The problem is that this area also is the primary area for absorbing vitamins and minerals! (As I said, definitely a last resort!) That is part of why Psychiatric evaluations are done, they have to believe that you will follow the VERY strict guidelines for after surgery, including supplements daily, b12 shots by-yearly, and continuing doctors appointments before they will approve the surgery for you. My brother-in-law was turned down despite high blood pressure and heart issues because they believed he would not have the right follow through.

So, actually, both surgeries are NOT for people with no will power, they are for those who have good will power, but for whatever reason (tyroid issues, non-functioning liver or pancreas, heredity, etc.) are not able to lose weight through traditional diet and exorcise AND show significant health issues as a result of their weight issue.

Lap Band System Health & Special Psychology

Thank you Morgan for sharing this. I am glad you sister was helped by it and that b-12 shot is not very nice from what I recall. I agree the by pass does create some serious concerns and I am reassured in that they are not letting the whimsical have it.

It would be nice to find a way to rebalanced the body chemicals that cause these disorders rather then resorting to major surgery.

Edited: krakyn on 17th Mar, 2008 - 5:57pm

Page 2 System Band Lap

Studies show, over and over, that people can take off weight...but they --virtually everybody -- cannot keep it off. I think that Lap Band and other surgical solutions are probably the best solution for people with large amounts of weight to lose, with a history of being unable to lose and keep weight off, and who can demonstrate a commitment to following the rules that one must follow in order to achieve weight loss after surgery.