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Would You Make Suitable For Laparoscopic Gastric Lap Band Surgery?

There are various forms of weight loss surgery available to patients nowadays including the quite new surgical procedure of gastric lap banding which is rising in popularity and is fast becoming the preferred choice for a significant number of morbidly obese people. But are you a suitable candidate for gastric lap banding surgery?

In providing an answer to this question we will begin by assuming that you are suitable for weight loss surgery generally and that your only concern therefore is whether you should be thinking about lap banding. In simple terms this would mean that you are over the age of 18, are morbidly obese with a body mass index (BMI) of over 40 (or over 35 with one or more co-morbid conditions) and that you have previously attempted traditional weight loss methods (possibly including drug treatment) without any success.

It is usually believed that people contemplating weight loss surgery are merely overweight and it is all too easy to forget that individuals who are extremely overweight are frequently suffering from various other conditions, many of which arise out of the fact that they are overweight. It is the existence of these other conditions that frequently constitutes an obstacle when it comes to choosing between different surgical options.

As gastric lap banding is a type of restrictive surgery where the stomach is physically reduced in size to limit the amount of food that can be passed through the stomach and digestive system, this type of surgery is unlikely to be suitable if your esophagus, stomach or intestine are in any way abnormal. Any abnormality could be congenital or acquired and a typical problem experienced is a narrowing at some point along the digestive tract.

Problems within the stomach or esophagus which could result in bleeding (like esophageal or gastric varices � a dilated vein) would also rule out gastric lap banding, as would difficulties at the site at which the band would be placed around the stomach, like an injury, gastric perforation or scarring.

Problems may also arise if you suffer from any type of inflammation or inflammatory disease in the gastrointestinal tract such as ulcers, esophagitis or Crohn's disease.

Finally, gastric lap banding is not suitable for pregnant women or where pregnancy is being considered. If a woman becomes pregnant following gastric lap banding the band can be deflated to allow for the increased nutritional requirement but, where deflating the band does not do the trick, the band may need to be removed.

One advantage of the gastric lap banding system is that the procedure can be reversed and, should it prove 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 key to any type of weight loss surgery but is an especially important issue in the case of gastric lap banding. If there is any doubt about how determined you are to succeed then this type of surgery may not be a good choice for you.

Article Source: http://blisspublisher.com

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