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How Lap Band Surgery Houston Causes Weight Loss

By Jennifer Baker


Weight loss surgery has been around for many years. Newer techniques are being developed everyday to make the process safer and more effective. Of the newest procedures is the lap band surgery, which is a safer alternative compared to the permanent gastric bypass. Lap band surgery Houston is done at friendly costs and is very effective at treating obesity.

The gastric band is a prosthetic device which is fixed at the upper part of the stomach using keyhole laparoscopic procedure. This creates a pouch at the upper part of the stomach whose capacity is about 50ml. Since it is small, it fills with food quickly and slows down passage of food to the lower part of the stomach. With this kind of procedure, no part of the stomach is cut neither does it involve removal of any part of the digestive system.

The gastric band is a silicone prosthetic device which is fixed on the upper part of the stomach using laparoscopic surgery. This creates a small pouch which holds a very small amount of food. It has a capacity of about 50ml therefore fills quickly and slowly allows passage of food into the lower stomach. The unique feature with this procedure is that no part of the digestive system is cut or removed from the system.

After this procedure is carried out, the patient is required to eat much less, thoroughly chew the food and eat at a slow pace. Initially, the results of weight loss will less significant but over five year period, the outcome will be much visible.

For pregnant women, the band may remain deflated throughout until after breastfeeding is completed, and thereafter gradually be inflated to facilitate postpartum weight loss. The first adjustment is done between six to eight weeks after the procedure so as to allow the stomach to heal adequately. Thereafter, the fills can be done as need arises.

For one to qualify for this procedure, you have to have a body mass index of 40 and above. The only exception is if you have a BMI of 35 with obesity related conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. You must also be of between 18 and 55 years of age. Upon considering this factors and ascertaining that you qualify, you must then evaluate on the costs associated with this surgery. They include, surgeon fees, hospital expenses, follow up visits and a nutritional requirement to be adhered to.

Some of the risks to be concerned about while undergoing lap band are reaction to anesthesia and the pre existing diseases that may lead to complications. Those that relate to the weight problems are of great concern therefore precaution must be put in place. The biggest risk while undergoing this procedure is gastric perforation. This is a tear in the wall of the stomach and it can occur during the surgery. If not detected and treated early, the perforation could cause serious complications in the digestive system.

The surgery is becoming common as many more surgeons can perform it. The costs of undergoing this procedure have also gone down over the years due to availability of qualified surgeons. If considering this procedure for the treatment of obesity, it is important to budget effectively so as to be able to cater for the numerous associated costs in addition to the surgical fees. In Houston, having a health insurance policy will ease the burden of undergoing this procedure.




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