The LapBand procedure is a weight loss surgery that has increased in popularity since is introduction to the United States in 2001. So, what is it that sets the LapBand apart from other bariatric procedures? It has to do with risk and convenience. With a lower complication and death rate and a shorter recovery period, the LapBand is the preferred choice of treatment for most individuals and healthcare professionals.

If you are overweight, you may be ready to jump on the LapBand bandwagon. As previously stated, the LapBand surgery does have a number of benefits, but it is not right for everyone. So, how do you know? Please continue reading on for five signs that the LapBand surgery is something you should closely examine. In the event the signs apply to you, schedule a consultation appointment with a LapBand surgeon to determine your eligibility.

1 If Your Doctor Suggests It

Those who suffer from obesity are likely to schedule more appointments with their primary care physician. Those suffering from obesity, deal with other health related complications, including asthma and diabetes. In most cases, primary care physicians recommend healthy eating and exercise. In extreme cases of obesity, the LapBand system may be mentioned.

If your primary care physician suggests the LapBand surgery, take this suggestion to heart. Your doctor has your best interests in mind.

2 If You Are Severely Obese

On average, those suffering from obesity have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more. This usually translates to 30 pounds overweight. Although obesity has many risks and complications, LapBand surgeons are selective. In most cases, simply just being obese isnt enough to warrant a LapBand procedure. Instead, most physicians recommend patients have a Body Mass Index (BMI) rating of 40 or more. This translates into severe and morbid obesity.

If you are 100 pounds overweight or more, LapBand surgery may not only help you lose weight, but it may save your life.

3 If You Are Unable to Lose Weight

In most cases, the LapBand surgery is used as a last resort. It is considered a relatively safe procedure, but there are always risks involved. That is why most professionals opt for natural weight loss methods. Before giving the okay for LapBand, most surgeons want to see proof that their patients have tried to lose weight with diet and exercise. If not, most will try natural approaches before opting for surgery.

If you have unsuccessfully tried to lose weight with diet and exercise multiple times, weight loss surgery may be your only option.

4 If Your Health is at Risk

Health will play a huge role in ones ability to undergo LapBand surgery. For many, it is a double sword. LapBand surgery and weight loss can lessen the symptoms of asthma, diabetes, and other obesity related conditions. In fact, symptoms may completely disappear. On that same note, those who are obese due to a medical condition, such as a thyroid problem or pregnancy, are not ideal candidates. In these instances, a reduced stomach size may not cure a weight problem.

If you suffer from obesity related health problems, consider surgery. Not only will you lose weight, but your overall health and wellbeing will improve. You may feel as if you got a new lease on life with the LapBand surgery.

5 If You Cannot Complete Daily Activities

Despite being obese, some men and women are able to lead normal and happy lives. This is often the case with slight obesity. On the other hand, there are those who cannot do daily activities or needed tasks. Those who find it impossible to play with their children, walk up a flight of stairs, or leave the house, are at a serious and dangerous stage. This is the point where LapBand surgery and other extreme methods of weight loss should be examined.

If your obesity restricts your ability to go about your day, now is the time to consider the LapBand system.

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The LapBand surgery is a weight loss procedure that has increased in popularity in the United States. Those suffering from severe to morbid obesity, turn to the LapBand to lose weight and improve their health. Unfortunately, the LapBand isnt the best option for most. If you need professional help losing weight, it is important to examine all of your options. This includes the LapBand surgery, as well as alternatives.

The LapBand System

As previously stated, the LapBand system has increased in popularity in the United States. This is due to its high success rate, low recovery period, and low risk of complications. With the LapBand system, an adjustable gastric band is just to decrease the size of the stomach. This, in a way, forces patients to eat less, which results in weight loss.

Although the LapBand surgery is known for its low complication rate, complications do occur. Surgeons have a strict set of criteria they use to determine surgery eligibility. Those who are between the ages of 18 and 60 and who are in relatively good health are ideal candidates for the LapBand system. Due to the risks, surgeons prefer to operate on those who are severely obese. This translates into an average Body Mass Index (BMI) rating of 40 or higher. Most importantly is a clear understanding of the surgery and what is expected of the patient.

In terms of expectations, diet restrictions are a must. Due to a smaller stomach pouch, diet restrictions are necessary not only to lose weight, but to reduce post-surgery complications. Eating too much food can result in band slippage, acid reflux, and regurgitation. In the weeks following surgery, patients work through various stages, which include clear liquids, full liquids, pureed foods, soft foods, and solid foods.

Gastric Bypass Surgery

In many instances, gastric bypass surgery is similar to the LapBand procedure. The post surgery diet is similar. Instead of using an adjustable gastric band, stomach cutting and stapling is involved. In the United States, there are two main types of gastric bypass surgery; Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Biliopancreatic Diversion.

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass is the most commonly performed gastric bypass procedure in the United States. The stomach is stapled to create a smaller stomach pouch. Next, the small intestine is rerouted to the pouch. This process allows food to bypass the jejunum and duodenum. Although successful, in terms of weight loss, the rerouting of the small intestine has been known to cause a decrease in nutrient and calorie absorption.

Biliopancreatic Diversion is also known as extensive gastric bypass. This is the most complicated form of weight loss surgery. Unlike the LapBand system and the Roux-en-Y because the stomach is not just reduced in size, but the lower portion is removed. This procedure is not only permanent, but risky. For that reason, it is less common in the Untied States, but still available to select patients.

Diet and Exercise

Those suffering from extreme obesity opt for weight loss procedures. While a healthy lifestyle that includes diet and exercise is needed to see success with all weight loss surgeries, patients always have the option to rely just on it.

Due to risks and complications, not all patients are deemed ideal candidates for weight loss surgery. Those patients are encouraged to lose weight through diet and exercise. Although it will be a long and stressful process, it is a natural and safe way to lose weight. Professional help can come from a personal trainer and nutrition expert.

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Rapid weight loss is possible, thanks to a surgical procedure called the gastric bypass. In essence, this weight loss surgery reduces the size of a part of the stomach and connects it to the small intestine. By doing so, it prevents overeating and helps gain satisfaction after eating small meals. After the surgery, the stomach volume becomes smaller and, as a result, can contain only 1 ounce of food (which stretches to 8 ounces over time).

Have you gone through weight loss surgery? Because of the changes in your digestive system, you need to follow a diet after the surgery. You also need to consult a registered dietician to know the foods you must eat, how to eat them, and how much to eat. Your post-surgery diet must be planned carefully to avoid sudden weight gain and other complications such as vomiting. Also, the right diet helps shorten the recovery period, ease pain on the surgical areas, and adjust your body to the changes in eating habits.

For the first two days after your surgery, eating is not allowed. Then after several months, you are required to eat certain foods that vary in softness and texture. Weight loss surgery patients follow a diet progression that begins with liquids and proceeds to pureed foods and soft foods. The first phase is the liquid diet consisting of water, milk, juice, broth, and soup. It is followed by three to four weeks of puree diet that includes foods with a texture of a thick liquid or a smooth paste.

Examples are yogurt (low fat or sugar free), oatmeal, pureed meat, and pureed fruits, among others. The third phase is an eight-week soft diet that consists of foods that are easy to chew such as fresh fruits, ground meats, and cooked vegetables. Afterwards, you can move on to the last phase, which is the solid diet. Just be sure to avoid overeating and skipping meals.

Usually, every meal should include foods rich in protein such as cheese, lean meat, and eggs. You need protein because it helps in repairing and maintaining the tissues in your body after the surgery.

After the surgery, it is recommended that you start with six small meals everyday. After a few weeks, move on to four meals a day and then reduce it to three meals a day once you have started following a regular solid diet.

The rate at which your body adjusts to the new diet and eating habits determines how fast you must proceed from one diet phase to another. Most patients begin eating solid foods three months after the surgery, but for some, it can happen sooner.

When complemented with regular exercise, following the right diet leads to a 50 to 60 percent weight loss two years after the surgery. Whats more, you enjoy the weight loss benefits of the surgery for good of you consistently maintain the right diet.

Of course, theres a price to pay for not following the doctors or dieticians recommendations on diet and exercise. Weight gain is the usual result of bad health practices such as lack of exercise, overeating, and high-calorie food and beverage intake. If it happens to you, visit your doctor to discuss the possible solutions. That way, you will be able to get the most out of gastric bypass surgery.

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Want to lose weight but afraid to go under the knife? Listen up. Your long-time battle with the bulge will end for good with one solutiongastric bypass surgery. It involves changing the digestive system to change your appetite; that way, you eat and digest less amount of food. Aside from the significant weight loss, the surgery also helps minimize the risk of developing obesity-related diseases.

Also called the Roux-en-Y surgery, the procedure primarily entails making a walnut-sized pouch at the upper stomach and putting a bypass around a portion of the small intestine and the stomach. Consequently, the food you eat bypasses most of the stomach and restricts the ability of your digestive system to take in calories. Hence, the term bypass surgery. Surgeons perform this operation using a small tube called a laparoscope that creates small incisions in the abdomen.

A small video camera is attached on the instrument, and this device enables the surgeon to see the inside of the abdomen. The laparoscopic technique is generally preferred over the traditional open bypass surgery that makes large incisions in the abdomen. Compared to the open bypass surgery, the laparoscopic technique is less risky and less painful because of the small incisions. Also, it results in shorter recovery period.

The procedure starts with the stapling of the patients stomach at the top to seal this area off from the rest of the stomach. As a result, the sealed portion or the pouch will be able to contain only an ounce of food. Separated from the entire stomach, the pouch is then connected to a small part of the small intestine. To be able to achieve that, the surgeon cuts a small part of the small intestine and sews it onto the pouch.

The surgery is not for everyone, though. There are certain risks involved; and a prospective patient must understand them before undergoing the surgery. If you plan to undergo the weight loss surgery, consult a surgeon and ask all your concerns regarding the procedure. Usually, the surgeon explains the things you should expect during and after the surgery.

Before the surgery, you will be given anesthetics to keep you asleep during the operation. The anesthesia is usually in the form of an intravenous (IV) line or analgesics. During the procedure, the surgeon inserts a tube into your nose down to the top of the stomach. To heal the staple line on the stomach, the tube is joined to a suction machine that empties the stomach pouch after the surgery. The surgery lasts for about two to four hours, but you will need to stay in the hospital for around three to five days for recovery.

Expect some diet and lifestyle changes after the weight loss surgery. One to three days after the procedure, you will not eat anything to allow your stomach to heal. Then, for about three months, you will follow a diet that starts with liquids, progresses to soft and pureed foods, and lastly to regular foods. You will have to be cautious with your food intake because eating huge meals can cause extreme pain under the breastbone and vomiting.

Also, you will notice some changes in your body and behavior three to six months after the gastric bypass surgery. These include dry skin, hair thinning, fatigue, body pains, and mood swings. These will be your bodys reactions to the quick weight loss resulting from the surgery.

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