There are several types of obesity surgery available to patients today including the quite new surgical procedure of gastric lap banding which is growing in popularity and is fast becoming the preferred choice for many morbidly obese people. But are you a suitable candidate for gastric lap banding surgery?
In answering this question we will start by assuming that you are suitable for obesity surgery generally and that your only concern therefore is whether you should be considering lap banding. In very simple terms this would mean that you are over 18, are morbidly obese with a body mass index (BMI) in excess of 40 (or over 35 with at least one co-morbid condition) and that you have previously attempted traditional weight loss methods (possibly including drug treatment) without any success.
It is frequently believed that people contemplating weight loss surgery are merely overweight and it is all too easy to forget that people who are extremely overweight are generally suffering from a variety of other conditions, many of which result from the fact that they are overweight. It is the presence of these other conditions that normally presents a hurdle when it comes to choosing between different surgical options.
As gastric lap band surgery is a form of restrictive surgery where the stomach is physically restricted in size to limit the quantity of food that can pass through the stomach and digestive system, it follows that this form of surgery is probably not going to be suitable if your esophagus, stomach or intestine are abnormal. Any abnormality might be either congenital or acquired and a typical problem seen is a narrowing at one or more points along the digestive tract.
Problems with the esophagus or stomach which might lead to bleeding (such as esophageal or gastric varices � a dilated vein) would also rule out gastric lap banding, as will difficulties at the location at which the band is to be placed around the stomach, such as an injury, scarring or gastric perforation.
Problems might also arise if you suffer from any form of inflammation or inflammatory disease within the gastrointestinal tract like ulcers, esophagitis or Crohn's disease.
Finally, gastric lap banding is not considered suitable for pregnant women or for women who are contemplating pregnancy. Should pregnancy occur after gastric lap banding the band can be deflated to allow for the increased nutritional requirement however, where deflating the band is not in itself enough, the band may need to be removed.
One benefit of gastric band surgery is that the procedure is reversible and, if it is 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 form of obesity surgery but becomes an especially important issue in the case of gastric lap banding. Should there be any doubt about your determination to succeed then this form of surgery may not be a good option for you.
Author Resource:-
GastricBypassFacts.info provides a great deal of information on gastric bypass surgery including what you might expect by way of gastric bypass cost
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