The Lap Band is the common name for the Adjustable Silicone Gastric Band and is the common form of weight loss surgery in Europe and Australia. Although it has been in use in Europe since 1993, it has only been used in the United States since 2001. This is one of the least invasive forms of weight loss surgery. Similar to Vertical Banded Gastroplasty, the Lap Band procedure requires the placing of a hollow silicon band around the upper part of the stomach (creating a small pouch). The key feature of the Lap Band is that it is adjustable. If you stay full too long, or get hungry too soon after eating, the band can be adjusted without additional surgical procedures. The Lap Band procedure involves placing a reservoir just under the skin which is connected by a tube to the band. In order to adjust the band opening, your surgeon or a nurse practitioner can inject or remove saline from the reservoir and thereby adjust the size of the band opening as needed. Unlike most other procedures, the Lap Band is entirely reversible. The band, tube and reservoir can be removed and the stomach will return to its original form. Individuals who undergo this procedure can expect to lose about forty to fifty percent of their excess weight within approximately two years if they follow the rules for eating and exercise after surgery.
According to the American Society for Bariatric Surgery and the National Institutes of Health, the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the gold standard for weight loss surgery and the most frequently performed weight loss procedure in the United States. This procedure involves stapling to create a small stomach pouch approximately one half to one ounce in size and stapling shut the remainder of the stomach. The new pouch empties directly into the lower portion of the small intestine, limiting calorie absorption. Weight loss after this procedure can average seventy-seven percent of excess body weight. Long term weight loss maintenance is generally higher with this procedure than with others. Studies have shown that approximately ninety-six percent of certain associated health conditions such as back pain, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, diabetes and depression were either improved or completely resolved. Due to the malabsorptive nature of this procedure, people undergoing this procedure must take additional vitamin and mineral supplements after surgery.