Laparoscopic
Gastric banding
Laparoscopic Gastric Banding
LGB is a form of obesity management surgery (also known as bariatric surgery) where an adjustable band is placed around the opening of your stomach. This makes the entryway to the stomach smaller, and eventually, the stomach becomes smaller as well. This means that you would need to eat less to feel full, and over time, you’ll start to lose weight.
Life After LGB
What most people don’t realize is that the weight loss process doesn’t stop at the surgical procedure, since your entire way of life has to change accordingly. For a truly successful process of weight loss, we advise you to follow the following steps:
- Instead of eating 2 or 3 large meals, you should eat 5 or 6 very small meals so as not tooverload your “small” stomach
- For 2 weeks after the surgery, you would be limited to a liquid diet, and would graduallytransition to pureed food, soft food, and then regular food in about 1 month. Do notrush the process of returning to hard foods so as not to risk nausea and vomiting.
- Eat very slowly and chew your food very well, since your now “small” stomach does nothave the same capacity for digestion as it used to.
- The gastric band does not control your appetite. Yes, you would feel full quicker, butthat doesn’t mean you wouldn’t get cravings for food. Make sure you follow a custom-made diet so as not to regain the weight you worked so hard to lose.
- Some Other Life Changes to Consider
LGB and other bariatric surgeries affect every aspect of your life, so you would need to change some of your lifestyle choices to cope with the effects of the procedure, mainly smoking and drinking alcohol which would need to be moderated. You should also avoid a high liquid diet, a high sugar diet, and hard foods such as nuts, chips .. etc. In addition, not only will you change physically, but it can be hard for some people to cope mentally with the changes of the procedure. Should you feel overwhelmed at any point, there is absolutely no shame in seeking help whether professional or through support groups, family,and friends.
Frequently asked questions
As we mentioned, LGB is indicated mainly for people with extreme obesity (BMI over 40). However, there are other bariatric surgeries to choose from which can be better for your case. Make sure to ask your surgeon about laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, mini gastric bypass, roux-en-Y gastric bypass, or laparoscopic transit bipartition.
Once you’re anaesthetized, the surgeon will use the laparoscope with the small surgical instruments to insert the band around the upper part of the stomach, and tighten it until it makes the stomach pouch as small as possible. The entire process takes around 30 to 60 minutes, and you’ll probably remain in the hospital overnight for observation and go home the next day.
LGB is indicated for people with extreme obesity who have failed to lose weight using a diet and regular exercise. Obesity is identified by using a metric known as the body mass index (BMI) which is the ratio of your weight to your height. A BMI of over 30 is considered obese, 35 to 39 is considered severe obesity, while over 40 is considered morbid obesity, where your weight would start to affect your health. LGB is indicated for people whose BMI is over 35, and who may also suffer from some metabolic disorders that originated from being overweight such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea. A BMI of over 40 means you are a direct candidate for LGB even if your general health isn’t affected.
A laparoscopic approach to surgery means using 3 tiny incisions to do the surgery (two 5 mm in length, and one 12 mm in length), as opposed to the regular approach where a large incision is made in your abdomen. The surgeon would use a specialized thin long telescope to which a camera is connected known as the Laparoscope together with some very small surgical instruments to reach the surgical area without opening up your belly too much. This means less scarring as most of these incisions are hidden, less pain during the post-operative recovery period, and fewer surgical complications. It is the approach of choice for most bariatric surgeries.