There are several types of weight loss surgery available to patients now including the quite new procedure of gastric lap banding which is rising in popularity and is fast becoming the favored choice for many severely overweight or morbidly obese individuals. But would you be a suitable candidate for gastric lap band surgery?
In providing an answer to this question we will start by presuming that you are suitable for weight loss surgery in general and that your only concern is whether or not you should be considering lap banding. In very simple terms this would mean that you are over 18, are severely overweight with a body mass index (BMI) of over 40 (or in excess of 35 with at least one co-morbid condition|one or more co-morbid conditions) and that you have previously attempted traditional weight loss methods (possibly including drug treatment) without success.
It is often believed that individuals facing weight loss surgery are merely overweight and it is all too easy to forget that individuals who are extremely overweight are frequently suffering from several other conditions, many of which result from the fact that they are overweight. It is the existence of these other conditions which often constitutes a hurdle when it comes to choosing between different forms of surgery.
As gastric lap banding is a type of restrictive surgery in which the stomach is physically restricted in size to limit the quantity of food which can pass through the stomach and digestive system, this type of surgery is probably not going to be suitable if your esophagus, stomach or intestine are in any way abnormal. Any abnormality might be congenital or acquired and a common problem seen is a narrowing at some point along the digestive tract.
Problems within the stomach or esophagus which could lead to bleeding (such as esophageal or gastric varices ” a dilated vein) would also make gastric lap banding impractical, as would problems at the location where the band would be placed around the stomach, such as an injury, scarring or gastric perforation.
Problems may also arise if you are suffering from any type of inflammation or inflammatory condition within the gastrointestinal tract such as ulcers, esophagitis or Crohn’s disease.
Finally, gastric lap banding is not considered suitable for pregnant women or for women who are considering pregnancy. Should pregnancy occur after gastric lap banding the band can be deflated to allow for the higher nutritional requirement but, where deflating the band does not do the trick|is not in itself sufficient, the band could need to be removed.
One advantage of the gastric lap banding system is that the operation is reversible and, if it is necessary, the band can be removed and the stomach returned to its original state. However, this can also be a disadvantage of the system. Motivation is the key to any type of weight loss surgery but is a particular issue when it comes to gastric lap banding. Should you have any doubt about your determination to succeed then this type of surgery may not be the best option for you.
