LAP banding is an invasive technique used to treat clinical obesity in extreme situations, when no other treatment has been successful. The treatment consists of an adjustable band that is surgically placed in the human body to limit the size of the stomach and therefore eliminate the possibility of over eating. The band creates a small gastric pouch that has a calibrated opening to the rest of the stomach, allowing food to pass through and into the digestive system.

LAP banding treatment has several benefits over other invasive treatments for clinical obesity. The band can be removed at any time, and there is no need for complicated surgical procedures such as stapling or removing part of the stomach.

Procedure information
The procedure is designed to create a small pouch at the top of the stomach to limit the intake of food to control a clinically obese patient’s weight. The procedure is carried out under general anesthetic and takes approximately 45 minutes. A small incision is made in the patient’s abdomen and the band is placed around the stomach, through this incision.

Depending on the patient’s progress, the band can be altered using an internal balloon to increase or decrease the size of the artificial stomach. LAP banding doesn’t involve complicated surgery, such as cutting out part of the stomach to reduce its capacity to process food. It should however be used in conjunction with continued dietary controls to maintain weight loss after the removal of the LAP band.

Recovery time
Unlike other invasive forms of weight control for extreme cases, the hospitalization period for LAP banding is fairly short. Most patients are out of hospital 48 hours after the procedure due to the uncomplicated nature of fitting the LAP band.

A little discomfort may be experienced immediately after the operation due to the manipulation of the stomach when attaching the LAP band, but this will subside quickly. As the incision made to introduce the LAP band is small, the wound heals efficiently and quickly. Most patients completely recover within 1 week.