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The LAP-BAND has been approved in the United States since 2002 for the treatment of morbid obesity. The banding procedure functions through a restrictive process by placing an adjustable band in the proximal (upper) portion of the stomach, which enables the patient to feel full after eating smaller amounts of food. In this procedure, the band, or silicone ring, allows your surgeon to restrict the amount of food that enters the larger stomach portion from the newly created small stomach pouch. The smaller stomach pouch varies from 15-20 cc in size, approximately the size of a golf ball. The adjustable band is connected to a port surgically placed outside the stomach, underneath the skin. Your surgeon or specialty trained staff can increase or decrease restriction by adding or removing water from the fluid-filled band, which is done as an office based procedure. 
ADVANTAGES/BENEFITS:  Relatively simple technical procedureLow acute complication rateNormal digestion and nutrient absorptionMean weight loss at three years was 35-50 percent of excess weightDISADVANTAGES OR RISKS: Solid food may be difficult to swallowLess maximal weight loss vs. Gastric Bypass SurgeryLess resolution of co-morbidities vs. Gastric Bypass SurgeryPOSSIBLE LAP-BANDŽ COMPLICATIONS: Stomach perforationProlapse / slippage of bandStomach / esophageal erosionInfection related to implanted foreign bodyLeak at port site |
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| Peace River Regional Medical Center | |||||||||