Laparoscopic Weight Loss Surgery
There are different laparoscopic weight loss surgery procedures available today. There are different surgery centers who perform laparoscopic surgeries. You and your doctor can determine which method is the safest one for you. The different procedures available and single laparoscopic bariatric surgery by minimally invasive or laparoscopic ( keyhole ) surgery is not the limit to what the doctors can offer. The adjustable gastric banding method can be reversed if need be and the band can be adjusted to increase or decrease restriction. In some studies involving over 3,000 patients, there was a weight loss of 28 to 87% with a minimum of a 2 year post-op follow-up. It has a short recovery period and is safer than the gastric bypass or the duodenal switch. There is a very low rate of complications and the stomach or intestines is not opened. If a woman who has had the bariatric surgery becomes pregnant, the band can be deflated to make sure the mother and baby get the right amount of nutrients. This surgery can also help improve conditions you may have. It will help improve diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, dyslipidaemia, asthma, low back pain, and vertical disc disease, osteoarthritis caused by weight bearing hips, knees, ankles, and feet, improves skin fold dermatitis, and urinary stress incontinence. The death risk is 1 in 2,000 to 3,000.
The adjustable gastric band limits the food intake by being placed around the stomach below the junction of the stomach and esophagus. The older bands used could not be adjusted but the ones used today has an inflatable balloon in their lining which allows adjustment to fit the size of the stomach. Risks besides a rare chance of death are band erosion into the stomach, infection, slipping of the band, deflation or leak, persistent vomiting, failure to lose weight, or esophageal or gastric perforation. Lap band surgery is increasing in popularity.
Gastric bypass is the type of weight loss surgery that is most used in the United States. The procedure involves stapling a small portion of the stomach to form a small pouch. The rest of the stomach is not removed but it is stapled completely shut and divided from the small pouch. The food passes through the small pouch and empties into the lower part of the jejunum which causes it to bypass the absorption of calories. The small intestine is divided just beyond the duodenum to bring it up and connect it to the small stomach pouch. Some of the possible complications from this type of surgery are death (rare), wound infection, bleeding, internal hernia, stomach stitch breakdown, tightness at the new stomach opening, infection in the abdomen from leakage, stomach ulcer, food intolerance, and iron, calcium, and/ or vitamin B12 deficiency.
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