Lap band or gastric bypass

Bariatric surgery can help you get rid of excess fat of your body and helps in leading a healthy lifestyle. This could be either achieved by stapling a small portion of your stomach or by tying the stomach with a band.

Lap band and gastric bypass are the two surgical options for severely obese patients who have been unable to control weight through diet and exercise. Deciding between the two largely depends on your personal preference and a good knowledge about both surgeries.

Lap band surgery is a minimally invasive procedure requiring no stomach stapling or re-routing of internal organs The Lap band consists of a silicone ring that is placed around the top of the stomach giving it the shape of an hourglass. The resulting pouch dramatically reduces the functional capacity of the stomach. It is designed in such a way that it can be inflated or deflated at any time after operation. Lap band surgery can be adjusted, moved and has no requirement for permanent alteration to the body of the stomach or intestines, which makes it a better option to lose weight.

Gastric bypass involves creating a small pouch by dividing the stomach. The small intestine is divided and brought up to join the new stomach pouch. This allows the food go straight from the stomach pouch into the small intestine, which causes it to bypass the lower stomach and the duodenum. This reduces the amount of calories that the body absorbs.

The lap band surgery lasts around an hour and requires an overnight stay in the hospital. Gastric bypass surgery takes about four hours and you may have to stay three to five days in a hospital after surgery.

Weight loss is quicker in gastric bypass. With lap band surgery initial weight loss is slower than Gastric bypass, however over a 5-year period, weight loss outcome is similar in both.

In case of lap band, it is easy to remove the band and reverse the surgery, requiring only a laparoscopic procedure, after which the stomach usually returns to its normal pre-banded state, since it uses an inflatable saline filled strap that is wrapped around your stomach. A gastric bypass surgery can be reversed, but it should not, as it is very risky.

A gastric bypass cannot be adjusted, while a lap band can be adjusted by means of a port through the skin that the surgeon leaves just below the ribs. To tighten the lap band, the surgeons injects saline solution into it.

Gastric bypass surgery is more expensive than a Lap band surgery. While the cost of lap band surgery comes in between $15,000 to $20,000, gastric bypass costs $20,000 to $25,000.
Gather information like procedure, precautions, recovery period, reversibility and cost of both types of bariatric surgeries. This will help you make the most informed decision.

Gastric Bypass Surgery

The Gastric Bypass Surgery (GBS) combines both restrictive and malabsorption processes. The creation of a small stomach pouch causes restricted food intake and construction of bypasses of the duodenum and other segment of the small intestine causes malabsorption, which decreases ability to absorb calories and nutrients from food.

There are two types of GBS.

The first type is known as Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RGB).This surgery was the first performed in US and today it is most popular Gastric bypass surgery all over the world. A small stomach pouch is created by stapling part of the stomach together or by vertical branching. Thereafter, a Y-shaped section of the small intestine is attached to the pouch to allow food to bypass the duodenum as well as the first portion of the jejunum. Now it is possible to perform this surgery by laparoscopic technology.

Another type of GBS is called extensive gastric bypass or biliopancreatic diversion. This type is more complicated than RGB. The lower portion of the stomach is surgically removed. The remaining pouch is connected directly to the final segment of the small intestine .As a result both duodenum and jejunum are bypassed. This type is not very popular as it has a risk for nutritional deficiencies.

People who undergo gastric bypass surgery are at risk for Pouch stretching. The stomach may stretch back to its original size before surgery. Sometimes the breaking of staples can reverse the procedure. Leakage of stomach contents into the abdomen can cause acid eat other organs.

Some people complain of Dumping Syndrome. It occurs when stomach contents move too rapidly through small intestine. It causes nausea, vomiting, weakness, sweating, faintness and diarrhea after eating. Gallstone can occur in response to rapid weight loss. The limited absorption of vitamin B-12 and iron can cause anemia. The lack of calcium absorption causes osteoporosis.

But, the benefits of the surgery definitely outweigh the risks. More than 75% of the patients are expected to lose 75-80% of their excess body weight .About 70-80% of the patients stop taking medication for hypertension. Other conditions such as sleep apnea, asthma, joint pain, arthiritis, fatigue, shortness of breath are drastically improved if not completely resolved.