Monday, September 12, 2016

What You Need To Know About Lap-band And Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

By Timothy Brown


Bariatric operations are the procedures that are performed with the sole purpose of helping an individual lose weight. The need for these procedures has been increasing steadily in New York City in recent times. Gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass are the three main types of bariatric operations. Of the three, lap-band and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy are the most effective and safest. Gastric bypass is often done as a last resort for some diseases affecting the stomach.

When one is trying to lose weight, they need to first consider the conservative methods. Such will include for instance modifying the diet and making it healthier. The intake of carbohydrates and fats should be reduced and that of fruits and vegetables increased. You need to exercise regularly to help burn excess fats and prevent unnecessary weight gain. These options need to be tried out for at least 6 months before being considered ineffective.

You need to have a discussion with your doctor before choosing between the banding procedure and gastrectomy. Benefits and risks need to be considered for one to make an informed decision. In general, the main similarity between these two techniques is the fact that both can be done by accessing the abdomen through the laparoscopic technique or through the open technique. The main difference is that banding is reversible while gastrectomy is not.

To perform the banding procedure, the abdominal cavity is first opened either through a large incision or by making smaller incisions to be used for the placement of the laparoscope. The next step is to place a silicone band around the upper part of the stomach. This band has a compression effect that squeezes the stomach and reduces its size considerably. The force of compression can be increased or reduced as needed.

Gastrectomy involves reduction of stomach size by removing between 75 and 80% of the organ. The operation leaves behind a small tubular structure whose shape is like a sleeve thus the name of the procedure. Laparoscopic access to the abdominal cavity is the most preferred technique. Once the unwanted portion has been removed, the remaining part is stitched using staples or surgical sutures. With a significant reduction in capacity, the stomach can only hold a limited amount of food.

These surgeries are associated with various complications. These include blood loss, internal organ injury, nausea, vomiting and infections in the postoperative period. Loss of stitches or staples using in closing the stomach has also been reported in rare cases. Whenever the staples or stitches are displaced, there is a huge risk of acid leakage and subsequent chemical injury to organs (peritonitis).

Reduced stomach capacity translates into reduced intake of food. This is not only due to the smaller quantity of food that can be held at one time but also due to the associated early satiety. A reduction in the surface area of the stomach also reduces the amount of food absorbed. Weight loss begins to become evident within weeks or months depending on the magnitude of the problem.

Although the surgery can be performed in any patient, there are a number of situations in which risks outweigh the benefits. For instance, if the patient has hormonal imbalance involving metabolic hormones they are likely to have poor outcomes. Examples include uncontrolled diabetes and hyperthyroidism. These conditions have to be managed first before the operation is carried out. Gastrointestinal diseases such as peptic ulcers and inflammatory bowel disease may also affect the results.




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