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Gastric Band and Plastic Surgery

Surgical Treatment

There are many different treatments for obesity. These can be divided in two categories: surgical and non-surgical. Eating less and exercising are both non-surgical options for the treatment of obesity. Unfortunately they have proved to be insufficient in 99% of obese patients. In other words, less than 1% of severely obese people are able to lose the weight (and keep it off) by just dieting and exercising.

Surgical Options

Gastric Bypass

With this surgery, the stomach is stapled to make a small pouch. Then a portion of the intestine is attached to the pouch, bypassing the rest of the stomach. As a result, the patient eats less and absorbs fewer nutrients. For this reason, the surgery is classified as a restrictive and malabsorptive treatment.

Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG)

The VBG is a restrictive surgery. In it, the surgeon again uses staples to make a small stomach pouch. This reduces food intake by limiting the amount of food your stomach can hold. By doing this, the patient will feel fuller with less food. The main difference with respect to the Gastric Bypass is that with this surgery, the stomach digests food's nutrients and calories in a normal way.

LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding System

The LAP-BAND® System restricts the amount of food the stomach can hold by placing an adjustable band around the upper part of the stomach. There is no cutting or stapling needed to form the pouch where food is stored. For this reason it is considered the least invasive option of all weight loss surgeries. Also, and unlike stomach stapling, the band can be adjusted according to your needs and it can be removed if necessary.

The LAP-BAND® system is the only adjustable treatment and is also the only reversible weight loss surgery. Read more about the LAP-BAND® system here.

Obese people experience many problems in their immediate environment because obesity is directly visible to other people, which means that it affects social interaction. People not only have firm opinions on the outward appearance of someone suffering from obesity, but they also make judgements about his or her character. For example, obesity is often seen as a sign of weakness and laziness - that obese people have no control over how much they eat. Most of the patients I see in my practice have experienced this attitude from other people. You will also find this pattern repeated in studies on quality of life. According to one study (Rand and MacGregor, 1990, eds.), prior to surgery the majority of obese patients considered themselves unattractive and felt as if people were talking about them behind their backs. They also felt that they were discriminated against when it came to trying to get a job, and found that doctors frequently treated them with little respect. It is noticeable that around 18 months after a stomach operation this self-image changes completely. I see this change in my patients too, and it gives me enormous satisfaction every time."

LAP-BAND® System surgeon

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