Lap Band or Gastric Bypass: Which is the Right Surgery for You?

Many people considering weight loss surgery are confused about which surgery is best for them. With lap band surgery, a plastic band is placed around the stomach. The band is then filled with saline solution. This provides restriction, limiting the amount of food you can eat at one time, thereby causing you to lose weight. With gastric bypass surgery, the stomach is stapled to make it smaller, and part of the small intestine is bypassed. The smaller stomach causes you to eat less, and bypassing part of the intestine causes you to absorb less fat and fewer calories from your food.

There are pros and cons to both surgeries, and good reasons to choose one over the other. The final decision about which surgery to have should be made with your doctor, of course, but it’s good to be familiar with both and to form your own opinion, as well.

The lap band was quite popular for while, but it is falling out of favor these days. This is due to the complications that can arise. Initially, it was thought that the lap band had fewer complications than the gastric bypass, but now that is not necessarily thought to be the case.

According to the Bariatric Surgery Source, the lap band can cause erosion of the stomach or esophagus. The body may reject it, because it is a foreign body. It can spring a leak and then it cannot be filled so it no longer provides restriction.

The lap band also has a fairly high failure rate, meaning that people do not lose much weight with it. Now, some people do well with the band and lose plenty of weight, but many do not. There may be a couple of reasons for this. First of all, it can be hard to get the right amount of fill in the band. Secondly, people can still eat high-calorie, fatty foods with the band, which can defeat their weight loss efforts.

Because of the possible complications with the band, and because of the high failure rate, some insurance companies no longer cover that surgery. Many people who initially get the lap band later need to have a revision to a gastric bypass, and the insurance companies don’t want to end up having to pay for two surgeries.

Of course, complications can occur with a gastric bypass, as well. According to Dr. Callery of Thinner Times, there is a chance of leaking around the staples in the stomach, which can be very dangerous. There is also a chance of developing a stricture, which is a narrowing of the opening between the stomach and the small intestine, which can prevent food from moving into the intestine. Gall stones frequently develop after a gastric bypass, and the gall bladder may have to be removed; in fact, some physicians routinely remove the gall bladder in the course of a gastric bypass operation. Vitamin deficiencies can occur since the small intestine no longer absorbs nutrients as well as it used to.

Despite the possible complications of the gastric bypass, there are advantages to this type of surgery. Weight loss is typically faster, and more weight is generally lost.

As reported by the Mayo Clinic, some people who have a gastric bypass develop something called dumping syndrome, which is an intolerance to sugar or fatty foods. Eating these foods causes great discomfort, which serves as an incentive to avoid them. For that reason, many people who choose a gastric bypass actually hope to have dumping syndrome; they want that extra incentive to avoid unhealthy foods. However, some people prefer the lap band surgery precisely because they want to avoid dumping syndrome. It should be noted that not all gastric bypass patients develop dumping syndrome, so

Gastric bypass is often the preferred surgery for those with diabetes, as it has been shown to have a greater success at eliminating that disease. However, losing significant weight with a lap band can also benefit a person with diabetes. Gastric bypass is also recommended for people with GERD.

The lap band is often preferred because it is considered a less invasive option. Both lap band surgery and gastric bypass surgery is usually done laproscopicly, which means only a few small incisions are made. However, there is less cutting with a lap band surgery, and your insides aren’t “rerouted” as they are with a bypass. Recovery time may be shorter with a lap band. Keep in mind, though, that complications of the lap band often require a second surgery to remove or replace the band, meaning patients must undergo anesthesia with all the accompanying risks a second time.

In the end, there are pros and cons to both types of surgery. You should consider them carefully, and talk with your doctor about which surgery he or she recommends for you.

Keep in mind that lap band and gastric bypass are not your only options if you are seeking weight loss surgery. Two other surgeries, vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG or “sleeve”) and duodenal switch (DS), are gaining in popularity these days. Consider those options as well when deciding which is best for you.

Sources:

Quality Gastric Bypass. http://www.quality-gastric-bypass.com/gastric_lap_band.htm. Adjustable Gastric Laparoscopic Band.

Bariatric Surgery Source. http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/lap-band-problems-lap-band-complications.html. Lap Band Problems and Complications.

Thinner Times. http://www.thinnertimes.com/weight-loss-surgery/gastric-bypass/gastric-bypass-procedure-overview.html. Gastric Bypass Procedure Overview.

Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dumping-syndrome/DS00715. Dumping Syndrome.


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