Minimally Invasive Surgical Associates - Frequently Asked Questions

LAP-BAND© System - FAQ

What is the LAP-BAND© System?

The LAP-BAND© System is an adjustable gastric band designed to help you lose excess body weight, improve weight-related health conditions, and enhance quality of life.

How does the LAP-BAND© System work?

The LAP-BAND© System is a silicone ring designed to be placed around the upper part of the stomach and filled with saline on its inner surface. This creates a new, smaller stomach pouch that can hold only a small amount of food, so the food storage area in the stomach is reduced. The Band also controls the stoma (stomach outlet) between the new upper pouch and the lower part of the stomach. When the stoma is smaller, you feel full faster, while the food moves more slowly between your upper and lower stomach as it is digested. As a result, you eat less and lose weight.

How is the LAP-BAND© System different from gastric bypass surgery?

Unlike gastric bypass surgery the LAP-BAND© System procedure does not require stomach cutting and stapling or gastrointestinal rerouting to bypass normal digestion.

How much weight will I lose?

Weight-loss results vary from patient to patient. A weight loss of two to three pounds a week in the first year after the operation is possible, but one pound a week is more likely. Twelve to eighteen months after the operation, weekly weight loss is usually less. The main goal is to have weight loss that prevents, improves, or resolves health problems connected with severe obesity.

When will I start to see results?

Individual weight loss results vary but if you follow the general nutritional guidelines, you should expect to lose about 1 to 2 pounds every week on average over the first year.

Will I feel deprived or hungry?

It can be normal for patients to feel hunger in the few weeks between surgery and their first fill. Focusing on healthy food choices and eating regularly throughout the day can help you stay satisfied. Further out from surgery, emerging hunger may be a signal that you need your band adjusted. Please note, it is possible to create hunger by consistently eating liquid and/or soft foods that will pass easily through the band and thus, cancel the effect of the surgery. Keeping in contact with the office dietitian(s) and following the recommended eating guidelines is essential to your success after the LAP-BAND© System surgery.

Will I be able to eat whatever I want?

You may eat most foods that don’t cause you discomfort. However, because you can only eat a little at any given time, it is important to include foods rich in important vitamins and nutrients—foods such as those recommended by your surgeon and/or dietitian.

Once placed around the stomach, tubing connects the LAP-BAND© System to an access port fixed beneath the skin of your abdomen. This allows the surgeon to change the stoma (stomach outlet) size by adding or subtracting saline, or salt water, inside the inner balloon through the access port. Adjustments are performed without any additional surgery.

No. The LAP-BAND© System does not limit or hamper physical activity. You should be able to do everything from simple stretches to strenuous exercises. In fact, exercise should become a regular part of your postsurgical routine. Remember, the LAP-BAND© System is simply a tool that helps you lose weight—diet and exercise are still required. Always check with your doctor about the amount and type of exercise that is best for you.

What happens during the surgery?

During the procedure, surgeons usually use laparoscopic techniques (making tiny incisions rather than a large incision and inserting long-shafted instruments through “ports”) to wrap the LAP-BAND© System around the patient’s stomach. A narrow camera is passed through a port so the surgeon can view the operative site on a nearby video monitor. Like a wristwatch, the band is fastened around the upper stomach to create the new stomach pouch that limits and controls the amount of food you eat. The band is then locked securely in a ring around the stomach.

How long does recovery after surgery take?

If LAP-BAND© System surgery is performed through a laparoscopic method, as it most frequently is, patients typically spend less than 24 hours in the hospital. It takes most patients about a week before they can return to work, and a month to six weeks before they can resume exercising. In the case of open surgery, or if there are complications, recovery may take longer.

The LAP-BAND© System can help adults, at least 18 years old, who are 100 pounds over their ideal weight or have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or greater. People with a BMI of 3 or greater with weight-related health problems may also be eligible for the LAP-BAND© System. Talk to your doctor to find out if the LAP-BAND© System is right for you.

Where can I find more information?