Would You Make Suitable For Lap Banding?

There are several forms of weight loss surgery available now including the relatively new surgical procedure of gastric lap banding which is growing in popularity and is fast becoming the favorite choice for a significant number of morbidly obese people. But are you a suitable candidate for gastric lap band weight loss surgery?

In providing an answer to this question we will begin by assuming that you are a suitable candidate for weight loss surgery generally and that your only concern therefore is whether or not you should consider lap banding. In simple terms this would mean that you are over 18, are severely overweight with a body mass index (BMI) of over 40 (or over 35 with at least one co-morbid condition and that you have already attempted traditional weight loss methods (possibly including drug treatment) without any success.

It is usually assumed that people contemplating weight loss surgery are simply overweight and it is very easy to forget that people who are extremely overweight are generally suffering from a variety of other conditions, some of which stem from the fact that they are overweight. It is the existence of these other conditions which frequently presents a hurdle when it comes to choosing between different forms of surgery.

As lap band surgery is a form 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 form of surgery is unlikely to be suitable if your esophagus, stomach or intestine are in any way abnormal. An abnormality could be congenital or acquired and a typical difficulty experienced is a narrowing at one or more points along the digestive tract.

Problems within the stomach or esophagus that may lead to bleeding (such as esophageal or gastric varices – a dilated vein) would also rule out gastric lap banding, as will problems at the site at which the band would be placed around the stomach, such as an injury, gastric perforation or scarring.

Difficulties can also arise if you are suffering from any type of inflammation or inflammatory condition in the gastrointestinal tract like esophagitis, ulcers or Crohn’s disease.

Finally, lap banding is not considered suitable for pregnant women or where pregnancy is being contemplated. Where pregnancy happens after lap banding the band can be deflated to allow for the raised nutritional requirement but, where loosening the band is not sufficient, the band might have to be removed.

One benefit of the gastric lap band is that the procedure can be reversed and, if it becomes necessary, the band can be removed returning the stomach to its original state. But, this can also be a disadvantage of the system. Motivation is the key to any type of obesity surgery but is a particularly important issue in the case of lap banding. Should there be any doubt about how determined you are to succeed then this type of surgery may not be a good option for you.